More than 100 business elites are expected to attend a private fundraiser Thursday night for Christy Clark's B.C. Liberals -- in Calgary.
The event is reportedly being organized by Murray Edwards, chairman of Canadian Natural Resources Ltd, a major oil sands player; and three Conservative insiders, Morten Paulsen, Rod Love and Allan Hallman.
"If your company or organization does business in British Columbia (or perhaps if you or your family own property in B.C.)," a fundraising letter from the event reads, "you should be concerned about the risks posed by the election of a New Democratic Party government in the upcoming election in May of 2013."
Top of mind is Enbridge's Northern Gateway proposal, which NDP leader Adrian Dix has said in the past he opposes. (Dix last August announced he would withdraw the province from the pipeline's ongoing review process if elected premier, and set up a 'made in B.C.' review instead.)
Thursday's $125 per entrant fundraising dinner may seem a bit strange. Clark, after all, caused considerable tension in Alberta this past summer with her demand that B.C. get a "fair share" of Northern Gateway pipeline revenues.
But organizers of the event, which B.C. cabinet ministers Rich Coleman and Bill Bennett are expected to attend, have apparently chosen the lesser of two evils.
"We've got to educate Christy more on the benefits for Western Canada and Canada as a whole on the Gateway project," Hallman told the Edmonton Journal. "I think it's more of an educational project with her."
Clark on Wednesday brushed off any suggestion that raising money for her party in another province is unusual.
"You might be surprised at the political stripes of politicians in B.C. who go to Alberta and do fundraisers," Clark told reporters.
More than a thousand people protested outside the latest round of Northern Gateway hearings being held this week in Vancouver.
Geoff Dembicki reports on energy and climate change for The Tyee.
14
Login or register to post comments
freebear
21 weeks ago
Who's pulling the strings in Canada
Can you say oil and gas industry?
“We’ve got to educate Christy more on the benefits for Western Canada and Canada as a whole on the Gateway project,” Hallman told the Edmonton Journal. “I think it’s more of an educational project with her.”
Sound's like lobbying to me!
Wonder which company(s) board(s) Christy will be sitting on when she ultimately wants to spend more time with family (again)!
CanadianLatitude
21 weeks ago
WTF??? That does not seem
WTF??? That does not seem right to me having fund raisers in another province.
Big business in BC and AB is sure ganging up on the BC NDP...The funny thing is the BC Liberals are more right wing than the Alberta Conservatives.
So big energy, big oil et al 'runs' BC, AB, SK and the feds? That is what it seems to me.
metacomet
21 weeks ago
The cynical view: Christy's
The cynical view: Christy's Northern Gateway ultimatum is insincere. The vast majority of BC is against the pipeline proposal; likewise, NDP leader Adrian Dix unequivocally opposes risking tanker spills in our pristine waters; Christy, on the other hand, says, "Make me an offer."
Imagine, if you will, Christy winning the next election. Can't you just hear her rolling over: "...but here's the thing: I took the tough stand before the election because I was listening to the people; but you know what?...I always believed we can balance economic priorities with environmental considerations. And guess what! I'm now convinced what's good for Alberta is good for BC! Here's the thing: Enbridge has actually met all my world-class, strictly principled criteria..which wasn't even on the radar till after the election but you know what?...I really educated those guys in Calgary; it's been my highest priority, keepin' family first..."
Dannyboy
21 weeks ago
Take the blinders off people
125 buck a plate fundraiser from the oil and gas industry? Shocking. Well not really. Pitiful amount actually.
Now how about Dix and his sold out TWENTY FIVE HUNDRED dollar a plate fundraiser with oil and gas executives in December.
No mention of THAT in the Tyee that I could find, correct me if I'm wrong.
The MSM on the other hand reported both.
Hakuin
21 weeks ago
TAR Sands
get it right, it's TAR Sands
Cool Hand
21 weeks ago
Interesting
The proceeds of this Lib fundraiser will go toward the BC riding of Columbia River-Revelstoke (adjacent to the AB border), which is both a playground and home to many in the Metro Calgary area - Windermere, Lake Windermere, Invermere, etc.
But yeah. Calgary oil/natural gas barons flew to Vancouver last September for a $5,000/plate dinner at the swanky La Terrazza restaurant in Vancouver's Yaletown hosted by Moe Sihota and Adrian Dix.
Now how progressive is that??!!
I mean, Adrian Dix promised them fraccing, natural gas development and lng development behind closed doors. And the oil barons were "pleasantly surprised"!
Ohhh and ummm... Canadian Natural Resources Murray Edwards was also present at the NDP's swanky event. Guess he didn't take a fancy to Moe Sihota... or maybe Adrian Dix.
G West
21 weeks ago
Wrong again Lukie
IN fact, and this is a DIRECT quote, Dix had the following to say about FRACKING:
“I think I’m the only one...who has formally said there should be a review of fracking [hydraulic fracturing], and I am glad that the other people have joined my pro-environment message,”
Maybe you need to get your nose out of that BCLiberal election handbook dude.
Cool Hand
21 weeks ago
Green Party Leader Jane Sterk...
Haha. BC Green Party Leader Jane Sterk will have a field day with Adrian Dix during the election campaign and election debates.
http://www.allpolitics.ca/clientuploads/VR%20120921.pdf
And the increase from 3 billion cubic feet per day to ~12 billion cubic feet/day in BC natural gas production will all come through fraccing. BC will be Canada's largest natural gas producer by the end of this decade.
G West
21 weeks ago
IN fact Lukie
Dix actually says that LNG on the coast is preferable to the Enbridge pipeline AND that ALL PROJECTS WILL BE SUBJECT TO STRICT environmental and scientific review before proceeding on ANY PROJECT.
You really need to pay a lot more attention and ignore that BCLIBERAL handbook.
G West
21 weeks ago
And in the end Lukie
It comes down to a choice between a leader who actually thinks about things and is committed to develop a logical and rational approach to policy and a leader whose main message seems to be that she finds government '...really really hard'.
When it comes down to brass tacks - that's really all there is to it. Christy Clark doesn't actually know how to be premier and she relies for much of her policy upon Glyn Morgan. Last time I checked he, as someone who came from SNC Lavalin (currently under criminal investigation for corruption), isn't exactly a paragon either.
She, and the Liberals, should just go away!
Skywalker
21 weeks ago
Isn't that sound of desperation...
...in Cool Hand's twists and turns just so coooool? So cool that it warms the heart.
bcwoodcarver
21 weeks ago
voting
do not vote for the ndp or liberals. anyone else could not screw up things any worse than these crooks. Lets take back our province.
metacomet
21 weeks ago
Greens have split the
Greens have split the progressive vote and produced two BC Liberal governments and two federal Conservative governments in a row. Let's take back our province? You a BC Liberal or something?
freebear
21 weeks ago
Will there be a BC May election polling station
in Calgary too?
A 'steer roping' 'rough neck' gloved hand slap to the face of citizens of BC and democracy