(November 11, 2019) The results could be nasty for taxpayers and the economy. Stay tuned.

By Parker Gallant (a former banker who didn’t like what he was seeing in his Ontario electricity bills).

For the original version of this posting, see here.

For more analysis by Parker Gallant, check out his blog here:
https://parkergallantenergyperspectivesblog.wordpress.com/

Back on October 30, 2018 the Federal Ministry of Environment and Climate Change issued a press release telling us they intended “to partner with independent climate experts to support ambitious action on clean growth and climate change”.

Confronted with the word “expert” takes one back in time to a British comedy.  Benny Hill, of the Benny Hill Show, frequently provided humorous definitions of words in his show and his take on the word “expert” stood out.  Merriam Webster’s first definition of the word is “experienced” and breaks the word into two syllables which are “ek-spert”.  Benny Hill went further suggesting; “ek” is the unknown and “spert” is a drip under pressure therefore an expert is an “unknown drip under pressure.

From all appearances we have far too many experts in politics, bloated bureaucracies (federal, provincial and municipal) and ENGO who exhibit those comedic traits on a regular basis. The 21 organizations who got together, to create the “Pan-Canadian Expert Collaboration” (to partake of the $20 million of tax dollars Minister McKenna promised), are all on the same page;  ie: climate change is the end of the world.  No “experts” with differing views appear to have been invited to join the “Collaboration”!

Award of the contract was obviously slated to align with the views of Minister McKenna and her “climate emergency”.  One wonders if the “collaboration” was in point of fact orchestrated and if so, who was the conductor?  My vote goes to Bruce Lourie!

Reasoning on the foregoing is related to how McKenna endorsed Bruce Lourie’s views disclaiming Doug Ford’s cancellation of the Ontario “cap and trade” tax as noted in the below tweet!

“Catherine McKenna 🇨🇦‏Verified account @cathmckenna “Scrapping cap and trade and the Green Ontario Fund will do nothing to lower electricity rates, what it will do is cause huge disruption and costs to Ontario businesses.” Smart analysis by @brucelourie of the Ivey Foundation nationalobserver.com/2018/06/21/analysis/bruce-lourie-doug-fords-scrap-and-pay-plan-explained …”

Lourie’s article in the National Observer appeared shortly after the Ford led Ontario Conservative Party, were elected and the “carbon tax” was about to be killed. Co-incidentally the Ivey Foundation, where Lourie holds the title of President, has provided grants directed to the National Observer.  Mckenna and Lourie were also together as speakers in Ottawa in October 2016 at the Canadian Climate Forum’s annual symposium shortly after the Federal “carbon tax” was announced.  One would assume they are well acquainted and hold similar beliefs in the “climate change” religion.

In the midst of the recent Federal election campaign, Lourie had another article appear on October 18, 2019 in the National Observer noting, amongst other negative comments:  “If Scheer wins” then “leaders who seek to delay action will dig in on dismantling climate policies, ensuring that Canada returns to global pariah status on the international stage.”  Lourie has apparently labelled all conservatives “pariahs’”.

On April 9, 2019 Minister McKenna’s Ministry; Environment and Climate Change Canada, announced the winning bid to create the “new independent climate institute”, was the Pan-Canadian Expert Collaboration. There among the twenty-one (21) names in the “collaboration” was the Ivey Foundation and several others Mr. Lourie either helped to create or presumably supported by providing grants via his position as President of the Ivey Foundation. One example is the “Ecofiscal Commission” (one of 21 “collaborators”) where Lourie also holds an “Advisor” title alongside political luminaries such as, Paul Martin, Michael Harcourt and Jean Charest. Needless to say, the Ivey Foundation made substantial grants to the Ecofiscal Commission to possibly (?) ensure the right message was forthcoming!

The Ivey Foundation is a charity/foundation registered with the CRA. A review of the information filed by them for their December 31, 2018 report indicates they had five employees one of whom makes somewhere between $250,000 and $299,999.  One would assume that individual is the President.

The Ivey Foundation, issued zero (0) tax receipts and did not complete the CRA’s “Schedule 7–Political Activities”.  In the filings with the CRA, charities/foundations are obliged to report; “Amounts provided to other organizations” and to name the organization and the “gift amount”. They must also indicate if it is an “Associated charity” with a simple “YES” or “NO”.  In all cases the 2018 report (and prior ones) of Ivey’s filings state, “NO” to that question!  Was that a true response, particularly as it applies to the Ecofiscal Commission, the grants they received from the Ivey Foundation and the “advisor” position their President holds in the Commission?

Lourie was the key speaker at the York University; Dr. David D. J. Bell Lecture on October 22, 2019 and his biography, appearing on the web-page, outlines some of his creations as well as a few of his past and present executive titles and directorships. It doesn’t however, highlight his myriad connections or influences on politicians in the past or present times.

The President of the Ivey Foundation, by all appearances and actions, is well connected with several of those who received grants from the Foundation and are now part of the collaborating family! Were they, and the other 20 collaborators, chosen because they will recommend a higher carbon tax than the one previously announced?

Remember, as Minister McKenna has stated, we are in the midst of a “climate emergency”, so perhaps, we should anticipate they will look to increase the tax!

For Parker Gallant’s Pan-Canadian Expert Collaboration, Phase Two, see here.

For Parker Gallant’s Pan-Canadian Expert Collaboration, Phase Three, see here.

For Parker Gallant’s Pan-Canadian Expert Collaboration, Phase Four, see here.

For previous blogs by Parker Gallant, published by Energy Probe: see here.