Conservative government games on Alberta oil sands dangerous

Compiled by Jose Martinez

OTTAWA - Conservative attempts to distort the Liberal position on the Alberta oil sands are unacceptable, said Liberal Natural Resources Critic Mark Holland.

"The Liberal Party will continue to support the development and expansion of the oil sands in a reasonable and sustainable manner," said Mr. Holland. "Any other characterization of our position is nothing more than an attempt to fear- monger. If this is the reaction that we can expect to calls for sustainable development of the oil sands, the Conservatives must be willing to develop them no matter what the environmental or social costs."

Mr. Holland was reacting to comments by Conservative MP Brian Storseth in the House of Commons today where he claimed that the Liberal Party would shut down the oil sands completely. Specifically, Mr. Storseth referred to Mr. Holland's interview with Charles Adler of the Corus Radio Network yesterday where the topic of the oil sands was discussed.

"In the interview, I made it clear that unlimited expansion of the oil sands at the fastest speed possible is unsustainable," said Mr. Holland. "That does not mean shut them down. Oil production from Northern Alberta is Canada's largest source of greenhouse gases, and to rapidly expand operations there would not be consistent with our attempts to reduce Canada's greenhouse gas emissions."

Recently, Prime Minister Stephen Harper, Finance Minister Jim Flaherty, and Natural Resources Minister Gary Lunn have each suggested a four to five-fold increase in production is feasible by 2015.

"A five-fold increase would generate greenhouse gas emissions on a scale never seen before in this country," said Holland. "However, if expansion is done gradually and at the same rate that infrastructure and other support can be brought in to Northern Alberta, it has the potential to be the best thing that has ever happened to Alberta's economy."

Mr. Holland's statements echo those that have been made by many leaders in Alberta, including former premier Peter Lougheed, who has warned about the dangers of quick overexpansion of the oil sands.

The Alberta Oil Sands scheme is responsible for significantly adding to Greenhouse Emissions in Canada, which is currently threatening human quality-of-survival on Earth, with worsening Global Warming, and related 'Climate Change'.

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