Policy Entrepreneurship: Understanding Fiscal Policy Change for the Alberta Oil Sands
Date
2018-09-13
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Abstract
In 1995 and 1996 both the federal and provincial governments introduced major changes to their royalty and tax regimes for the Alberta oil sands industry. The stated goal of these reforms was to incentivize new investment. These changes came after decades of non-cooperation between the two levels of governments over oil sector policy and ignoring industry requests for fiscal reforms. Others have explained these changes as the result of a shift in priorities at high levels of government. However, there is no evidence that the policy change originated in government. Another explanation points to the creation of a new institution, the National Oil Sands Task Force. This is a partial explanation, but it does not ask explain how and why the Task Force was created. Using the policy entrepreneur model of policy change, this thesis provides an alternative explanation. Drawing on first-hand accounts from those who participated in the policy changes, interviews, and a contemporary newspaper analysis, this study concludes that a single person, Eric Newell, was a key factor—a successful policy entrepreneur—in achieving these reforms. The thesis documents how Newell determinedly created narratives, formed coalitions, and navigated multiple institutional venues to shape new fiscal policies for the oil sands industry.
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Energy Policy, Canadian Politics, Alberta Politics, Industry-Government Relations, Petroleum Industry, Federalism
Citation
Weber, J. D. M. (2018). Policy Entrepreneurship: Understanding Fiscal Policy Change for the Alberta Oil Sands (Master's thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca. doi:10.11575/PRISM/32947