Beware foreign influence in Canada's resource sector and elections

[Anonymous]

The Alberta government finally released their report on foreign funding of Canadian anti oil campaigns. Their NDP opposed it. Follow the money trail and you will see the same anti Alberta oil campaigns also gave money to the Alberta NDP.



Foreign donors opened wallets to 'hurt' Alberta energy sector: Report

https://nationalpost.com/news/canada/foreign-donors-gave-1-3-billion-to-canadian-environmentalists-to-hurt-alberta-energy-sector-report?fbclid=IwAR2PAGpLXvNeeYEnUhxEt4TitmR8_Ldfjj0Lf-osVb5pjhALI8eOUX5Xy1g">https://nationalpost.com/news/canada/fo ... 8eOUX5Xy1g">https://nationalpost.com/news/canada/foreign-donors-gave-1-3-billion-to-canadian-environmentalists-to-hurt-alberta-energy-sector-report?fbclid=IwAR2PAGpLXvNeeYEnUhxEt4TitmR8_Ldfjj0Lf-osVb5pjhALI8eOUX5Xy1g



'We have a right to be outraged,' said Energy Minister Sonya Savage of the scale of foreign funds aimed at damaging the oil and gas industry



EDMONTON — The inquiry launched by Alberta Premier Jason Kenney's government into the scale of foreign funds aimed at damaging the province's oil and gas industry has issued its long-awaited report, finding that foreign donors provided nearly $1.3 billion in funds for Canadian environmental campaigns between 2003 and 2019.



However, compiled over two years by Calgary accountant Steve Allan, the report was only able to directly link far smaller amounts of money to anti-Alberta energy activities, with few conclusions drawn about what activities the money was actually used for.



"It cannot be suggested that all funding designated for Canadian environmental initiatives was intended to support anti-Alberta energy campaigns, although most certainly some of it was," the report notes.



The report fulfils a major election promise by Kenney's United Conservative Party and lays out the extensive network of environmental organizations, and some of their funding sources, that have sought to limit the growth — or shut down entirely — Alberta's oil and gas sector.



"From my perspective, I was surprised at how much we found, how co-ordinated and sophisticated and well-funded these campaigns were," said Alberta Energy Minister Sonya Savage in an interview. "It was a lot of money, coming from across the border, from foreign jurisdictions that came in to influence domestic policy, to influence legislation and regulatory matters, policy, and we should care about that."



Said Savage: "It's about finding and documenting a piece of history — an important piece of history that harmed Alberta — and understanding what the tactics were, what happened. I'm more interested in looking to the future and making sure we learn from that."



In spite of the controversy that dogged the inquiry, the report, released Thursday morning in Edmonton, did make a number of financial findings, while stating clearly no wrongdoing was found over the course of the investigation.



Of the $1.3 billion found to be donated by foreign groups, $897 million went to 31 Canadian environmental non-governmental organizations, nearly $22 million to six environmental legal organizations, and a further $6 million to other anti-Alberta resource organizations. A further $352 million, the report says, remained within the United States, but "focused on Canadian-based environmental initiatives."



Allan's inquiry identifies just 21 groups that have been engaged in anti-Alberta energy activities, deemed "participants" by the report.



That list includes well-known Canadian organization such as the David Suzuki Foundation, Greenpeace Canada and Sierra Club Canada Foundation, all of which have loudly, and publicly, opposed energy projects in Canada. (The identities of the additional non-participants, which are still foreign funded, are redacted within the Allan inquiry report.)



From the overall $1.3 billion, the report identifies just $54.1 million in foreign funds that were given specifically for "anti-Alberta resource development activity."



A chart detailing the funds given by foreign funders to the 21 "participant" organizations totals nearly $152 million, between 2003 and 2019.



The report also found $145 million in public funding, from all levels of government in Canada, to groups that the inquiry believes engaged in anti-Alberta energy activities.



"It hurts people in Alberta, it hurts the province's oil and gas sector," said Savage. "We have a right to be mad, we have a right to be outraged."



At a Thursday press conference, Savage said that while no illegal behaviour was found, she believes that Albertans feel that accepting foreign funding for anti-energy activism would be wrong.



"The report was never meant to be something that would censure or impugn or punish," Savage said. "It doesn't impact or detract from the fact that Albertans were hurt, people lost their jobs."



Given all these findings, Allan makes six recommendations to government. A number of them are adjacent to the specific findings of the inquiry, including one to "create an opportunity for meaningful dialogue among First Nations communities, and between First Nations Communities and other Albertans and Canadians to advance understanding and reconciliation with a focus on economic development."



Another suggests bringing together stakeholder groups to advance Alberta "as a leader in energy science ... to produce low-cost, low-carbon energy supplies."



That's an effort that, presumably, would work in conjunction with a Natural Resource Development Strategy for Canada, and a re-brand of Alberta energy.



Allan also makes a recommendation for funding transparency. He proposes updating standards for not-for-profit and charitable organizations that "provide a level of consistency and a more level playing field with the corporate sector."



"I am also troubled by the almost unfettered ability of any organization, or group, to advance their self-interest without full transparency and accountability,' Allan writes.



Savage said some of these suggestions — such as updating charitable reporting — would require co-operation from the federal government.



"The main thing here is we have to make sure that these types of campaigns don't target energy sources of the future," said Savage. "It's money looking for a cause and it's money looking for the next thing to oppose, so we have to be smarter, going forward."

[Anonymous]

The Alberta government finally released their report on foreign funding of Canadian anti oil campaigns. Their NDP opposed it. Follow the money trail and you will see the same anti Alberta oil campaigns also gave money to the Alberta NDP.



Foreign donors opened wallets to 'hurt' Alberta energy sector: Report

https://nationalpost.com/news/canada/foreign-donors-gave-1-3-billion-to-canadian-environmentalists-to-hurt-alberta-energy-sector-report?fbclid=IwAR2PAGpLXvNeeYEnUhxEt4TitmR8_Ldfjj0Lf-osVb5pjhALI8eOUX5Xy1g">https://nationalpost.com/news/canada/fo ... 8eOUX5Xy1g">https://nationalpost.com/news/canada/foreign-donors-gave-1-3-billion-to-canadian-environmentalists-to-hurt-alberta-energy-sector-report?fbclid=IwAR2PAGpLXvNeeYEnUhxEt4TitmR8_Ldfjj0Lf-osVb5pjhALI8eOUX5Xy1g



'We have a right to be outraged,' said Energy Minister Sonya Savage of the scale of foreign funds aimed at damaging the oil and gas industry



EDMONTON — The inquiry launched by Alberta Premier Jason Kenney's government into the scale of foreign funds aimed at damaging the province's oil and gas industry has issued its long-awaited report, finding that foreign donors provided nearly $1.3 billion in funds for Canadian environmental campaigns between 2003 and 2019.



However, compiled over two years by Calgary accountant Steve Allan, the report was only able to directly link far smaller amounts of money to anti-Alberta energy activities, with few conclusions drawn about what activities the money was actually used for.



"It cannot be suggested that all funding designated for Canadian environmental initiatives was intended to support anti-Alberta energy campaigns, although most certainly some of it was," the report notes.



The report fulfils a major election promise by Kenney's United Conservative Party and lays out the extensive network of environmental organizations, and some of their funding sources, that have sought to limit the growth — or shut down entirely — Alberta's oil and gas sector.



"From my perspective, I was surprised at how much we found, how co-ordinated and sophisticated and well-funded these campaigns were," said Alberta Energy Minister Sonya Savage in an interview. "It was a lot of money, coming from across the border, from foreign jurisdictions that came in to influence domestic policy, to influence legislation and regulatory matters, policy, and we should care about that."



Said Savage: "It's about finding and documenting a piece of history — an important piece of history that harmed Alberta — and understanding what the tactics were, what happened. I'm more interested in looking to the future and making sure we learn from that."



In spite of the controversy that dogged the inquiry, the report, released Thursday morning in Edmonton, did make a number of financial findings, while stating clearly no wrongdoing was found over the course of the investigation.



Of the $1.3 billion found to be donated by foreign groups, $897 million went to 31 Canadian environmental non-governmental organizations, nearly $22 million to six environmental legal organizations, and a further $6 million to other anti-Alberta resource organizations. A further $352 million, the report says, remained within the United States, but "focused on Canadian-based environmental initiatives."



Allan's inquiry identifies just 21 groups that have been engaged in anti-Alberta energy activities, deemed "participants" by the report.



That list includes well-known Canadian organization such as the David Suzuki Foundation, Greenpeace Canada and Sierra Club Canada Foundation, all of which have loudly, and publicly, opposed energy projects in Canada. (The identities of the additional non-participants, which are still foreign funded, are redacted within the Allan inquiry report.)



From the overall $1.3 billion, the report identifies just $54.1 million in foreign funds that were given specifically for "anti-Alberta resource development activity."



A chart detailing the funds given by foreign funders to the 21 "participant" organizations totals nearly $152 million, between 2003 and 2019.



The report also found $145 million in public funding, from all levels of government in Canada, to groups that the inquiry believes engaged in anti-Alberta energy activities.



"It hurts people in Alberta, it hurts the province's oil and gas sector," said Savage. "We have a right to be mad, we have a right to be outraged."



At a Thursday press conference, Savage said that while no illegal behaviour was found, she believes that Albertans feel that accepting foreign funding for anti-energy activism would be wrong.



"The report was never meant to be something that would censure or impugn or punish," Savage said. "It doesn't impact or detract from the fact that Albertans were hurt, people lost their jobs."



Given all these findings, Allan makes six recommendations to government. A number of them are adjacent to the specific findings of the inquiry, including one to "create an opportunity for meaningful dialogue among First Nations communities, and between First Nations Communities and other Albertans and Canadians to advance understanding and reconciliation with a focus on economic development."



Another suggests bringing together stakeholder groups to advance Alberta "as a leader in energy science ... to produce low-cost, low-carbon energy supplies."



That's an effort that, presumably, would work in conjunction with a Natural Resource Development Strategy for Canada, and a re-brand of Alberta energy.



Allan also makes a recommendation for funding transparency. He proposes updating standards for not-for-profit and charitable organizations that "provide a level of consistency and a more level playing field with the corporate sector."



"I am also troubled by the almost unfettered ability of any organization, or group, to advance their self-interest without full transparency and accountability,' Allan writes.



Savage said some of these suggestions — such as updating charitable reporting — would require co-operation from the federal government.



"The main thing here is we have to make sure that these types of campaigns don't target energy sources of the future," said Savage. "It's money looking for a cause and it's money looking for the next thing to oppose, so we have to be smarter, going forward."

I used to be an NDP voter. That was a long time ago when they used to pretend to care about blue collar workers. At least now they are honest. It's a party owned by prog elites and people like me are their enemy.