Al Gore Was Right

Al Gore took some heat for his comments concerning Stephen Harper's election victory. Well, right out of the gate, the idea that a Harper government would be handmaiden for big oil, similar to the American government, is getting concrete traction. Shiny new Minister of Natural Resources Gary Lunn sets a disturbing and telling tone:

The new federal minister of natural resources says the Conservative government will take a closer look at oil and gas drilling off the coast of British Columbia.
Saanich Gulf Islands Tory MP Gary Lunn's comments follow his appointment to the cabinet post on Monday...
"What we said as a party in the past, that we are open to discussing this and looking at it, although we've made no decision on this," he said.
"What we would say, is that we're prepared to at least, you know, let's have the scientists prepare the information for us, so we have all the facts before us before we make any decision on this file."

Why use your first public comments as an occasion to speculate on offshore drilling? The fact that three quarters of British Columbians favor a continued moratorium on offshore drilling should speak loud and clear. Clearly, prioritizing this issue speaks to an agenda that has long been discussed.

The cabinet appointments illustrate a preference for people who understand big business. The Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers seems pleased with the new Minister of the Environment:

The president of the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers sees potential benefits in Monday's cabinet appointments, in particular those who come from areas with strong ties to the energy sector.

Pierre Alvarez said he was also encouraged by the appointment of Ambrose, especially while the industry grapples with the Kyoto Protocol.

"From our point of view it's good to have someone who's familiar with the advantages of the industry and she's also aware of the challenges," Alvarez said.

Alvarez said it's clear from the appointments that Harper wanted cabinet ministers who will not only represent the interests of their portfolio's stakeholders but those of the provinces as well.

Comparing, Harper's position with the energy sectors views on Kyoto reveal a disturbingly similar attitude:

"They've talked about the need for a made-in-Canada plan, which is exactly the terminology Stephen Harper used," Bennett said. "They've talked about targets for Kyoto being unreachable -- that's similar

Many people scoffed at Al Gore's accusations, despite his vast knowledge on environmental issues. I think Gore nailed it, and from all indications there is much to worry about.