Federal NDP Leader Tom Mulcair’s visit to the Alberta oil sands may be a big deal on the political scene, but it appears to be just another day in Fort McMurray.
No one stopped Mulcair or tried to talk to him as he walked to city hall this morning to meet with Mayor Melissa Blake. Mulcair didn’t say anything either – he indicated he’d do all his talking at a news conference in Edmonton later in the day.
Fort McMurray is used to visitors wanting to see the oil sands first-hand – everyone from high-powered politicians from all over the world to Hollywood film directors such as James Cameron. Ken Chapman, Executive Director of The Oil Sands Developers Group, says the region sees more than 500 visits every year of groups interested in energy technology, environmental initiatives, infrastructure, and biodiversity. Mulcair’s visit is one more.
Mulcair’s day started early with a tour of Suncor’s project and a helicopter ride over the region. The NDP leader said his tour was arranged by the oil companies themselves.
He’s faced heated criticism from western premiers for his comments that the booming oil sands have artificially boosted the dollar and hurt manufacturing in Central Canada as a result.
BACKGROUND:
Wednesday night, the NDP presence in Alberta will become a little stronger. Federal NDP leader Thomas Mulcair will touch down in our province, after creating quite a stir with comments about the oil sands and their impact on the Canadian economy.
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“We have a view that the way we’re doing things now doesn’t internalize the cost,” Mulcair said. “We’re not applying the basic rule of polluter pay.”
Not surprisingly, his remarks haven’t been well-received by many Albertans. His comments were described as “divisive”; pitting the east against the west. Then, after much debate, Mulcair confirmed he’d visit the oil sands himself at the end of May.
“We’re going to be meeting with people, everyone from Pembina to Dr John O’Connor,” says Mulcair. “We’re going to meeting with the mayor of Fort Mac, the Deputy Premier of Alberta.”
“We’re hoping to continue working on issues of sustainable development.”
Mulcair will tour the oil sands, but Premier Alison Redford won’t be here to greet him. She’ll be attending a conference in Virginia. That’s a scheduling move that doesn’t sit well with the opposition.
“We have somebody who’s appointed himself the bully on the block; calling out the oil sands industry and rather than meeting with him, she’s decided to go to a secretive meeting in Virginia?” asks Danielle Smith.
The Bilderberg meeting is billed as an international forum with some well-known names. In the past, guests have included Bill Clinton and Bill Gates, but have also attracted their fair share of controversy and conspiracy theorists.
“It’s a strange place for her to be going, especially during a session,” adds Smith.
Redford doesn’t agree. “There’s lots of meetings that happen all over the world, and I’m certainly not expecting to come back and not be able to talk about either people that I met or issues that I talked about.”
In response to Smith’s opposition to her not being there to meet with Mulcair, Redford responds, “this is a person – as I said in the House – who two years ago thought the Premier shouldn’t rush back to Alberta to speak to a director and said, and I quote ‘that Premier should be dealing with US decision makers and policy makers.’ So you can make up your mind, you can make political hay about it, or you can respect the fact that the job of a Premier is to advance Alberta’s interests around the world.”
Still, critics say the trip comes at a price. At $19,000 for the Premier and one staff member – many say it’s far too steep.
“What is Alberta getting out of this, for her to attend this conference?” asks Smith. “I think she’s thinking about her career after politics and using it as a networking event – well, fair enough then she can pay for it herself.”
On Wednesday, the following video was posted on YouTube. It features Redford speaking about the oil sands, as well as the comments of NDP Leader Thomas Mulcair.
With files from Vassy Kapelos, Global News
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