Harper government cancels 3,000 environmental reviews on pipelines and other projects

Gregory Jack, the director of a Natural Resources Canada task force on energy security, said last February that industry stakeholders saw “an opportunity to use (Enbridge’s proposed Northern) Gateway (pipeline) to push for (the) need for regulatory reform.”

Jack’s assessment was delivered in a presentation, released to Climate Action Network Canada through access to information legislation, at a meeting discussing the government’s efforts to deploy diplomats to defend oil and gas companies and fight international efforts to slash the heat-trapping pollution that contributes to global warming.

“Sadly in Canada right now when the oil industry says jump, the government asks how high,” said Hannah McKinnon, campaigns director of the network, a coalition of environmental, labour union and faith-based groups. “The government must be beginning to regret this approach though, as public opinion rails against Northern Gateway and the gutting of environmental regulations.” Read more…