Some sectors of oil industry 'dragging their heels' on climate in favour of profit: Trudeau

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Alberta Premier Danielle Smith found themselves at loggerheads yet again Wednesday after he suggested that at least some in the oilpatch have prioritized profits over securing a long-term future for its workers.

In an interview on Real Talk Ryan Jespersen, Trudeau said that parts of the oil and gas industry, by "dragging its heels" on decarbonization, had in fact turned its back on oilsands workers. Those remarks caught Smith's attention, who fired back on social media, calling his comments "absurd" and accusing him of using Alberta as a punching bag to win votes.

Trudeau made the comments to Jespersen when the prime minister was asked why many workers in the oil industry feel like the federal government doesn't have their backs.

"In some sectors, some of the oilsands companies have been really innovative and are leading the way on that. And that is great. And we are encouraging them, and we're investing with them. We're supporting them in decarbonization investments," Trudeau said.

"But those who are crossing their hands and saying, 'You know what, the world's still going to need oil for another decade so, another few decades or so. It's still going to need every drop that we can produce.

"'So why would we raise our costs right now and invest in innovation, when we can just do the same things we've been doing for decades and make profits — and the fact that we're going to leave people with a dirty mess and no jobs, because we haven't prepared for the jobs of the future?'"

When asked by CBC News as to specify which companies Trudeau was referring to in the interview, a spokesperson in the Prime Minister's Office said they had nothing to add beyond those comments.

During his interview on Real Talk, the prime minister went on to say that the companies that are "dragging their heels" might suggest that such a problem is one for the next generation to handle, while the job of companies today is to draw profits.

"That is what is hurting oilsands workers. They've been fooled by people who are saying, 'Oh no, no. Climate change is a Liberal or a Chinese plot. You don't have to worry about it. Just keeping doing things exactly as they were a decade ago, two decades ago,'" Trudeau said.

"That's not preparing for the future that Albertans, like all Canadians, know is changing."

In the interview, Trudeau also criticized provincial leadership for what he said was a hesitant approach towards climate change and stressed the importance of Alberta's role in leading Canada's transition to renewable energy and meeting climate targets.

"If you can build the technology necessary for an oilsands refinery, you can build the technology necessary for a hydrogen plant. These are things that Albertans will have great jobs in in the future, if the Alberta government gets out of its ideological opposition to doing things that are good for workers, good for the planet," Trudeau said.

Trudeau was in Edmonton to announce $175 million in funding as part of the federal Housing Accelerator program, which is intended to be used to build 5,200 new housing units in the city over the next three years. 

Smith on Wednesday held a televised address in which she suggested Alberta would trim spending with an eye toward growing the Heritage Savings Trust Fund in an effort to wean the province off resource revenue by 2050.