We, the undersigned are reaching out to you today in full acknowledgement of the tremendous challenges you are currently facing to navigate our country through the COVID-19 pandemic. As such, we do not request your attention lightly. We are, however, gravely concerned about the potential for regrettable decisions to be made in such times of urgency. In particular, we would like to raise concerns regarding news that the Globe and Mail reported on March 19 that the federal government is preparing a $15-billion “bailout package” for oil and gas companies. Given that your government’s announcement seems imminent, we worked hard to prepare this letter collaboratively, in only two days, and in 24 hours we have gathered 265 signatures from Canadian academics at 33 universities, as well as 12 associations.

There is no question that Canada faces an immediate health crisis that is compounding an economic crisis, and urgent action is called for. However, decisions made by the federal government at this crucial moment will shape the future of Canada, and must reflect the interests of all Canadians, and a vision for rebuilding sustainable economies in recognition of the confluence of global shifts currently unfolding. Given that the proposed bailout package has been negotiated secretly with the United Conservative Party (UCP) government of Alberta and the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers (CAPP), Canadians have a right to be concerned that its contents may represent only a narrow set of perspectives and interests.

As Canadian researchers in multiple fields related to the climate crisis and the economy, we urge the government to channel public revenues both to the immediate health crisis, and toward economic planning that will provide long-term benefits for Canadian workers and families, our ecosystems and the climate. We also urge governments at all levels to avoid sacrificing democratic principles in the name of expediency, by including a broad range of civil society representatives in decision-making about how these large investments in our future will be made. It is not acceptable to give privileged access to big business associations while excluding representatives from trade unions, universities, municipalities, Indigenous communities and non-profit organizations that work on behalf of the public interest.

The UCP government and the Business Council of Alberta have proposed that the federal government buy shares in “distressed” oil and gas companies. In addition, oil and gas corporations have asked for further reductions in their income and property taxes, interest-free bank loans at a time when many financial institutions have significantly reduced financing of fossil fuel extraction, and the freezing of the federal carbon tax rate.

However, public investment in oil and gas at this time is a highly speculative proposition, and particularly unwise given the urgent need for strategic investments in economic recovery. Canadians are already saddled with an enormous environmental debt — both for the remediation of thousands of orphaned oil and gas wells and for the eventual “clean-up” of the oilsands mines and tailings ponds — estimated by the Alberta Energy Regulator to be as high as $260 billion, roughly equivalent to all of the royalty revenue paid by the industry to Alberta from 1970 to 2017.