‘Radical ideological agenda’ easy to spot from downtown Toronto

From the depths of his pipeline-free riding in the heart of Toronto, National Resources Minister Joe Oliver has lashed out at “environmental and other radical groups” for “[threatening] to hijack our regulatory system to achieve their radical ideological agenda.”

Gosh, I haven’t heard environmental activists smeared like that since Glen Clark labelled Greenpeace campaigners against old-growth logging “enemies of British Columbia.” Guess who won that round?

This time, the activists’ great sin is to oppose the proposed Gateway pipeline from Alberta’s oil sands – across B.C. and the territory of scores of native groups battling the project – to Kitimat, where tankers the size of 3.5 football fields will load up with crude and head for Asia through the province’s narrow, pristine, coastal waterways.

Who could be opposed to that but radicals? Never mind that B.C. will bear most of the ecological risk, without much permanent economic benefit.

Mr. Oliver’s diatribe also included outrage that funds from non-Canadians are being used in the fight against a project fuelled by the interests of foreign-based oil companies, including authoritarian China’s huge, state-owned energy company, Sinopec.

Ethical oil, indeed.

And who’s behind this ideologically driven, outside cash, Mr. Oliver was asked. “Billionaire socialists from the United States – people like George Soros,” he replied.

Sounds like someone itching to get into those wacky Republican debates and show up Mitt Romney for the socialist he really is.

Original Article
Source: Globe