News Release - April 05, 2007
VANCOUVER - Despite Gordon Campbell's Throne Speech promises on the environment, it’s clear that his real agenda involves opening up off-shore oil and gas exploration and development, says Official Opposition Leader Carole James.
“In public, Gordon Campbell is trying this week to catch up to the governors in pacific-western states who have been collaborating on climate change since 2003, but it’s hard to trust his sincerity when at the same time he is working with the oil and gas industry to lift the off-shore moratorium,” said James.
“And documents released under FOI today show that Mr. Campbell’s ministers have been much more forthcoming about those plans with Exxon-Mobil than they have been with British Columbians.”
Internal government documents released today show that Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources Minister Richard Neufeld met with Exxon-Mobil in February of this year to discuss collaboration on a public relations campaign to convince British Columbians to support lifting the moratorium on off-shore oil and gas exploitation. Those documents also confirm that the B.C. government is consulting Eastern provinces and developing a policy framework to allow exploration to begin.
James said that Gordon Campbell should come clean on the extent of his government’s discussions with Exxon-Mobil. She said the public needs to know what promises the Premier has made to oil companies and get a clear and unequivocal commitment to keeping the moratorium in place.
“Gordon Campbell’s first responsibility is to protect the public interest, not Exxon-Mobil’s bottom line,” said Opposition Energy Critic, John Horgan . “Any discussion about the future of the moratorium should be based on sound science, wide public discussion and a firm commitment to the environment. It shouldn’t be done in secret with Exxon-Mobil.
“British Columbians won’t be swayed by a public relations exercised sponsored by Gordon Campbell and Exxon-Mobil,” said Horgan. “It will only add to the mistrust people feel about the Premier’s commitment to the environment.
“If Gordon Campbell was truly committed to addressing global warming and the environment, he wouldn’t be meeting with Exxon-Mobil about lifting the moratorium and chasing photo-ops with U.S. governors.”
