The Alberta government will hold a public inquiry into environmental groups that it says have been bankrolled by foreign benefactors hell-bent on keeping CanadaB次元官网网址檚 oil and gas from reaching new markets while letting oil production grow unabated in the Middle East and the United States.
B次元官网网址淭hey often say that sunlight is the best disinfectant. This public inquiry will be sunlight on the activities of this campaign,B次元官网网址� Premier Jason Kenney said Thursday.
B次元官网网址淚t will investigate all of the national and international connections, follow the money trail and expose all of the interests involved.B次元官网网址�
He said the inquiry B次元官网网址� with a budget of $2.5-million B次元官网网址� will find out if any laws have been broken and recommend any appropriate legal and policy action.
B次元官网网址淢ost importantly, it will serve notice that Alberta will no longer allow hostile interest groups to dictate our economic destiny as one of the most ethical major producers of energy in the world.B次元官网网址�
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Steve Allan, a forensic and restructuring accountant with more than 40 years of experience, has been named inquiry commissioner.
AllanB次元官网网址檚 ability to compel witness testimony and records is limited to Alberta.
But Justice Minister Doug Schweitzer said much of the information Allan will need is publicly available and heB次元官网网址檒l be able to travel outside Alberta to gather more.
The first phase of the inquiry is to focus on fact finding, with public hearings to follow if necessary. Allan is to deliver his final report to the government in a year.
Opposition NDP member Deron Bilous said the inquiry is the equivalent of hiring someone to do a glorified Google search.
B次元官网网址淭his is a foolB次元官网网址檚 errand,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淚 donB次元官网网址檛 believe this will help Alberta further its interests in accessing pipelines and expanding our market access.B次元官网网址�
Kenney said deep-pocketed U.S. charities have been deliberately trying to landlock Alberta resources for years by funnelling money to an array of Canadian groups. Many of his assertions are based on the writings of Vancouver researcher Vivian Krause.
He blames those groups for the demise of several coast-bound pipelines that would have helped oilsands crude get to markets besides the U.S., as well as delays in building the Trans Mountain expansion to the west coast.
Krause said earlier this week that while the U.S. energy industry has benefited from anti-Canada B次元官网网址渄emarketingB次元官网网址� campaigns, she has found no evidence commercial interests are involved.
She and Kenney both agreed itB次元官网网址檚 because Canada is an easy target.
B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檙e very easy to pit against each other B次元官网网址� Quebec, the West,B次元官网网址� Krause said.
Kenney said Canada has been the kid in the school yard most easy to bully.
B次元官网网址淚 think they understood that this country amongst all of the major energy producers would be the most easily intimidated by this campaign,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淎nd you know what? They were right.B次元官网网址�
Prominent environmentalist Tzeporah Berman likened the inquiry to a B次元官网网址渨itch huntB次元官网网址� meant to silent dissent.
B次元官网网址淚t weakens our democracy and attempts to scare citizens from engaging in the debate on issues critical to our economy and a safe climate,B次元官网网址� she wrote on Twitter.
Lauren Krugel, The Canadian Press
