Saving the Taxpayer - Kevin Van Tighem.
I asked a knowledgeable authority about Danielle Smith's sudden outbreak of concern for us taxpayers in light of legal threats from coal companies (even while she wastes millions on Ivermectin reports, trips to Mar-a-Lago, and rent-a-nurses, but we won't go into all that).
Bottom line is: she's blowing smoke and crying crocodile tears.
Section 8(1)(b) of the Mines and Minerals Act provides the Minister with the power to acquire by expropriation [pursuant to the Expropriation Act] any estate or interest in minerals, if the Minister is of the opinion that any further exploration for or development of those minerals is not in the public interest.
Section 8(1)(c) of the Act allows the Minister to cancel or refuse to renew an agreement as to all or part of the location when the Minister is of the opinion that any further exploration or development of the mineral is not in the public interest, subject to the payment of compensation pursuant to the Mineral Rights Compensation Regulation.
The regulation limits compensation to the amount paid to the Crown; development allowance; reclamation allowance; and interest allowance. That's it.
This is nothing new. It's been established law for decades.
Some honesty would really help, but it is clearly not something which this particular government keeps in their coal office. I'm sure they will soon invent some new excuse for selling our Alberta water and mountains out to Australian mine speculators.