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The heated debate over new export pipelines has morphed in recent days into a debate over foreign meddling into Canadian oil sands development.
The issue was thrust into prime time by Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Natural Resources Minister Joe Oliver when they questioned the legitimacy of foreign environmental organizations stirring the pot against the Northern Gateway pipeline, a Canadian project they have turned into an extension of their successful fight in the U.S. against Keystone XL.
Foreign groups shot back the debate over the oil sands is a global one, and that foreign oil companies are also meddling into Canadian affairs because they are driving their expansion.
Here’s the wrinkle: according to an independent poll by Toronto-based Forum Research Inc., Canadians are more worried about increasing foreign ownership in the oil and gas industry, which lately has seen a surge in Asian purchases, than about foreign environmental organizations targeting the oil sands.
For Mr. Harper, “It’s kind of back fired,” Forum president Lorne Bozinoff said in an interview. “It’s the foreign oil companies that [Canadians] are concerned about right now.”
According to the poll of 1,211 randomly selected adult Canadians conducted on Jan. 13, right after the high-profile start of community hearings by federal regulators on Northern Gateway, more Canadians (43%) said they are opposed to the proposed pipeline than they are in favour (37%).
The poll also found that more than half of participants (53%) agreed that foreign oil companies should be barred from the Northern Gateway hearings, while only 36% believe foreign environmental groups should be barred.
The only bright spot in the poll for pipeline supporters is that opposition has softened since a similar survey was taken by Forum Research on Dec. 13 that showed 51% of Canadians were opposed and 35% were in favour.
According to Mr. Bozinoff, environmental organizations enjoy higher credibility than the oil industry because they are perceived to be fighting for the environment and not gaining monetarily.
This is nonsense and Canadians should know better.
Foreign green organizations do not have and should not have the same standing as foreign corporations in discussions about major infrastructure projects because they have no skin in the game other than views – some valid, some loopy – about what makes a better planet. Their main contribution to Canada? Fear.
Foreign corporations’ increasing ownership of Canadian resources is a worry – but let’s keep this in perspective. They have sunk many, many billions here with no guarantee of success. Indeed, they have a long history of overpaying for what they get. They employ thousands, support government budgets at all levels through taxes and royalties. They have fiduciary responsibility to shareholders and have to follow Canadian processes and laws. That includes regulations that are better than anything else in the world and disclosure rules that that require them to be truthful.
Together with their Canadian counterparts, it’s these companies that are developing, investing in and implementing environmental improvements in the oil sands – not green organizations.
“The environmentalists are not the only ones that are worried about the planet and have an interest in it,” said Jack Mintz, Palmer Chair at the University of Calgary’s School of Public Policy and a director of Imperial Oil Ltd.
For the rest of this column, please go to the National Post/Financial Post website: http://www.nationalpost.com/Foreign+influx+sands+issue/6035917/story.html