The proposed Enbridge Northern Gateway pipeline has faced stern opposition from several environmental groups in recent months. But where do these groups get their funding? A northern Alberta MP wants to find out.
Athabasca – Fort McMurray MP Brian Jean plans to bring forward a private member’s bill to bring transparency to the funding of non profits.
“My bill would be based on transparency and to make sure that these people that receive the benefit of a non profit status are transparent,” he told the Journal in a phone interview on Feb. 15. “They should be transparent in where that money is going and to whom it’s going.”
While some environmental groups have noble objectives, others from the U.S. think Canada should be a park, “so Americans can come visit and we can all be park rangers,” quipped Jean.
Jean is drafting the bill, which could take a year before being introduced into the House of Commons.
Westlock – St. Paul MP Brian Storseth said he liked the premise of MP Jean’s private member’s bill.
“It’s American oil companies in a lot of cases funding these groups from trying to stop Canadians from building a pipeline in Canada because it would hurt the competitive advantage they currently have,” said Storseth.
“We cannot allow ourselves as Canadians to be taken advantage of by other countries or other industries.”
A pro-oilsands group aims to re-brand Canadian oil, in part by exposing foreign funding of anti-oilsands activities in Canada. Ethical Oil launched OurDecision.ca, which claims many environmental NGOs have received money from outside of Canada, and in some cases, from countries in direct competition with Canadian oil.
“I think all Canadians can agree what we do with our natural resources and our economy is a Canadian decision,” said Ethical Oil spokeswoman Kathryn Marshall, in a phone interview.
“It shouldn’t be one that is hijacked and heavily influenced by all these foreign and special interests.” Marshall thinks in the future environmental NGOs are going to have to answer to the foreign funding used “to do the dirty work of foreign billionaires.”
The Pembina Environmental Foundation received $2.8 million from American billionaires to fight against Canada’s resource industry, OurDecision.ca says. The group called Environmental Defence Canada received $250,000 from San Francisco’s Tides Foundation and Corporate Ethics International, the same group that told Americans tourists to boycott Canada, took $2.2 million from foreign funders, the website claims.
OurDecision.ca notes the Venezuelan nationalized oil company registered to testify at the Canadian government’s Joint Review Panel, as well as other foreign funded lobbyists. The group calls on the Canadian government to ban foreigners and their “local puppets,” and encourages people to email Natural Resources Minister Joe Oliver to register concerns.
Canadian oil is sold to the U.S. for around a $12 discount per barrel, Jean noted.
“That is a lot of money being left on the table … There’s a lot of people that would be interested in us not able to have a sufficient market for our oil products. I certainly think receiving fair value for our product would be in the best interest of Canadians.
“It wouldn’t surprise me at all if things were happening in Canada that would be found despicable and underhanded if not illegal by Canadians generally. I think it’s important for Canadians to know what’s going on and I think it’s important to understand the motives of these groups, whether they be environmental radicals or whether they just be foreign interests or foreign companies or domestic companies that have underhanded motives,” said Jean.
