ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book examines the National Energy Program (nep) and the politics of energy in Canada by focusing on the period from 1973 to 1984. It presents a systematic examination of the links between politics and public policy in Canada’s oil and gas industry over the entire post-World War ii period. The book argue that the nep, along with other events and decisions, has resulted, in the period since the early 1970s, in a greater balance of power among the key public and private interests involved in energy decisions. It shows that the nep, though clearly a major policy initiative of historic importance, is not a radical policy when looked at in relation to either its objectives or its effects. The book provides an analytical approach and analyses in detail the origins of the nep decision itself.
