Inquiry report into foreign funding of anti-Alberta oil campaigns extended for a fourth time

CALGARY — Premier Jason Kenney confirmed another deadline extension has been granted for an inquiry into alleged foreign funding of anti-Alberta energy campaigns.

Commissioner Steve Allan was supposed to submit his final report by the end of May.

A judge dismissed an attempt from environmental group Ecojustice to shut down the inquiry on Friday. Court of Queen’s Bench Justice Karen Horner said the law firm failed to prove the inquiry was called to intimidate charities that have raised concerns about the industry.

WATCH: CityNews’ Cara Campbell reports on a judge dismissing an attempt to quash the UCP government’s inquiry into whether foreign groups have been funding environmental organizations against the oil industry.

She also says there’s no reason to believe that the political context around the inquiry suggests it’s biased.

“Commissioner Allan had to spend a lot of time and a fair bit of recourses defending his inquiry from those efforts,” the premier said during a Facebook Live Tuesday evening.

Here's the question to Premier Kenney about the Steve Allan inquiry, and why he's been granted another extension. #yeg #yyc #ableg pic.twitter.com/deGaEZKIAa

— Courtney Theriault (@cspotweet) May 19, 2021

Alberta NDP Energy Critic Kathleen Ganley responded to the extension on Tuesday:

“Jason Kenney promised Albertans that his strategy of inquiries, war rooms and yelling was going to create jobs – it hasn’t.

“All we have to show for it is tens of thousands jobs lost, among the slowest economic recoveries in the country, and the threat of potentially losing an active pipeline south of the border.

“The Premier’s bumbling inquiry has done nothing but drive investment out of the province. His so-called fight back strategy is clearly a farce.”

 – With files from the Canadian Press