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Feds busy touting oilsands

'Advocacy' key to action plan

By: Mike De Souza

Posted: 11/22/2010 1:00 AM | Comments: 0 (including replies)

Even Environment Canada is part of a federal strategy to counter billboards such as this one, seen in Seattle in July.

OTTAWA -- Three major departments in the federal government have been actively co-ordinating a communications strategy with Alberta and its fossil-fuel industry to fight international global-warming policies that "target" oilsands production, newly released federal documents reveal.

The documents, obtained by Postmedia News, suggest that Environment Canada, Natural Resources Canada, as well as the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, have collaborated on an "advocacy strategy" in the U.S. to promote the oilsands and discourage environmental-protection policies.

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Ottawa knows most Canadians want tighter controls, documents show. (ADRIAN WYLD / THE CANADIAN PRESS ARCHIVES)

"The activities of the oil sands sector has emerged as one of the high priority files for the federal government," wrote Natural Resources Canada policy adviser Paul Khanna in an email, on behalf of Kevin Stringer, the director of Petroleum Resources in the same department.

"As a result we have developed several products that provide the department's views on oil sands development... and we have contributed (along with EC) to a DFAIT led 'Advocacy Strategy' on oil sands for the U.S."

The email, dated Dec. 1, 2008, is part of hundreds of pages of documents released through an access-to-information request by Climate Action Network Canada.

The documents also include a powerpoint presentation outlining the communications strategy in 2009 and secret briefing notes that urge the natural resources minister to fight back against "well-orchestrated media campaigns" against the oilsands as well as "restrictive legislative and regulatory proposals that associate oil sands with 'dirty oil.' "

"U.S. legislation at both federal and state levels potentially target oilsands production," says a Natural Resources Canada powerpoint presentation from March 2009 called: Addressing Oil Sands Issues in the United States.

Meanwhile, the documents say the government is developing a "proactive outreach strategy" as part of its communications plan in partnership with other stakeholders, such as the oilsands industry and the Alberta government, which launched its own $25-million campaign in 2008.

"Engagement with (environmental groups) has been limited, but we will seek opportunities where we can," says the powerpoint presentation.

The documents also reveal that the government is aware a majority of Canadians want stronger action to crack down on oilsands pollution. It highlighted public opinion research that suggests 79 per cent of Canadians want emissions to be reduced from current levels.

Greenhouse-gas pollution from the oilsands has tripled since 1990. The government's research suggests 52 per cent of Canadians support a moratorium on new development until environmental issues are resolved.

The coalition that obtained the documents said the revelations may only represent the "tip of the iceberg" in terms of other international lobbying efforts by the Harper government, including recent letters sent to European politicians to discourage similar policies targeting pollution from the oilsands.

-- Postmedia News

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition November 22, 2010 A8

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