
Ian Hussey
Ian Hussey is a research manager at Parkland Institute. He is also a steering committee member and the Alberta research manager for the SSHRCC-funded Corporate Mapping Project. Before joining Parkland Institute, Ian worked for several international development organizations, including as the co-founder and executive director of the Canadian Fair Trade Network. Ian holds BA Honours degrees in Sociology and in English from Acadia University, an MA in Sociology from the University of Victoria, and his PhD courses and exams at York University focused on the sociology of colonialism and on political economy. His writing has appeared in the Globe and Mail, New Political Economy, Edmonton Journal, National Observer, and The Tyee.
Alberta Budget 2021: Tax Giveaways for Corporations, Service Cuts for Albertans
blog | Mar 04, 2021The compounded impact of years of cuts will be catastrophic. The United Conservative government is cutting or privatizing services that Albertans rely on in order to pay for their 33 per cent tax giveaway to large profitable corporations and for their mistakes of cancelling the crude-by-rail contracts and gambling on Keystone XL. On par with Premier Klein’s massive cuts in the late 1990s, the result will be deep structural changes and a legacy of lasting damage.
Fact checking Premier Kenney on Keystone XL
blog | Feb 12, 2021Ever since U.S. President Joe Biden cancelled the border-crossing permit for the Keystone XL pipeline, Premier Jason Kenney and others continue to spread misinformation about KXL, the oil sands industry and the energy transition. Ian Hussey takes a look at oil sands operations and pipelines, the energy transition and possibilities for economic diversification in Alberta.
A Feminist Approach to Alberta's COVID-19 Response
blog | Jun 01, 2020Women in Alberta are suffering the triple blow of bearing the brunt of the governing United Conservative Party’s austerity agenda and the COVID-19 economic and public health crises. In this blog Ian Hussey makes the case for an evidence-based COVID-19 response and recovery plan for Alberta that includes feminist considerations, and makes some suggestions for what such a plan might include.
Alberta's Keystone XL investment benefits oil companies more than Albertans
blog | Apr 02, 2020On March 31 Premier Jason Kenney announced that the Government of Alberta will invest $1.5 billion and provide an additional $6 billion loan guarantee to facilitate the construction of the Keystone XL pipeline. Research manager Ian Hussey looks at the deal to determine just who benefits from this investment and in what measure.
Governments should support oil sands workers, not companies
blog | Mar 23, 2020Alberta Premier Jason Kenney has suggested that the federal government should bail out oil and gas companies in response to the COVID-19 crisis and the Saudi-Russian price war. In this blog researcher Ian Hussey explains why that would be a bad idea.
The Future of Alberta's Oil Sands Industry: More Production, Less Capital, Fewer Jobs
research | Mar 10, 2020This report explores the employment, capital spending, and operational spending implications of the ongoing restructuring and consolidation of the Canadian oil sands industry.
What you need to know about Alberta Budget 2020
blog | Feb 28, 2020Alberta Budget 2020, released on February 27, continued the UCP commitment to deep spending cuts in public services. Parkland Institute research managers Ian Hussey and Alison McIntosh outline some of the budget's key components.
Alberta’s $15 minimum wage is good for workers and the economy
blog | Jan 31, 2020Parkland Institute research manager Ian Hussey writes about which Albertans have benefited from the $15 minimum wage and its impact on employment and hours of work.
Alberta’s Coal Phase-Out: A Case Study on Parkland County
blog | Dec 19, 2019Parkland Institute research manager Ian Hussey highlights the community case study on the municipal district of Parkland County from his recent Corporate Mapping Project report, co-written with Emma Jackson, that analyzes Alberta’s coal phase-out to date.
Alberta's Coal Phase-Out: A Just Transition?
research | Nov 20, 2019This report analyzes Alberta’s coal phase-out and compares the transition programs for impacted workers and communities put in place by the Notley government to the key principles of the "just transition" literature.