Quebec to enact Bill 21 in August: Questerre

The province of Quebec has announced that it will enact Bill 21, aimed at ending oil and gas exploration and production in the province, on August 23, and is moving to have all litigation relating to the bill dismissed, Questerre Energy CEO Michael Binnion said July 18.

“By enacting Bill 21, the government chooses, once again, to ignore the realities of the current energy crisis and how to genuinely reduce GHG emissions,” Binnion said. “As our European allies and partners around the world urgently seek reliable natural gas, Quebec is squandering the opportunity to become a trusted supplier and a proactive participant in reducing our dependence on autocratic suppliers of energy.”

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Quebec’s attorney general, Binnion said, is seeking a motion to dismiss Questerre’s claims for the related revocation of its Quebec licences, and has also asked Quebec’s Superior Court to combine all litigation related to Bill 21 into one action, to be decided upon by one single judge. 

The attorney general, Binnion said, intends to then ask that all pending litigation be dismissed, including Questerre’s judicial review application and claim for expropriation filed in 2018 and 2022, respectively, and, presumably, a claim for C$18bn filed by Utica Resources.

“The attorney general of Quebec’s decision to seek a dismissal of our legal claims without due process has only strengthened our resolve to fight this blatant injustice,” Binnion said. “We will vigorously defend our legal rights and seek fair and just compensation for breaching our license agreements. Quebec is a democratic state and it must act in good faith with respect to our agreements. Expropriating honest corporation’s assets without due process and fair compensation does not respect the rule of law that democracy depends on.”