Big Oil’s inside track in Ottawa spelled out in black and white

Published February 24, 2014

Wouldn’t it be nice to be given copies of early drafts of government plans to provide edits and feedback? Internal documents from Natural Resources Canada, released to PressProgress under access to information, show that’s the kind of access the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers (CAPP) enjoys. Last July was a particularly active one, the records […]

The Rex Murphy Big Oil soap opera goes on

Published February 20, 2014

We will soon find out if viewers of CBC’s The National and listeners of Cross Country Checkup (CCC) will be advised of Rex Murphy’s ties to Big Oil before his on-air rants against environmentalists. CBC Editor in Chief Jennifer McGuire announced a review of conflict of interest rules earlier this month after PressProgress revealed Murphy, a regular contributor to […]

Let’s talk Keystone XL, amigo

Published February 18, 2014

Updated Feb. 20 Prime Minister Stephen Harper had a chat with U.S. President Barack Obama on Wednesday during the North American Summit in Mexico, and word on the street going in was that the PM’s frustration with Obama over the proposed Keystone XL pipeline would make this one “the frostiest since the annual meetings began […]

The comical reporting of magical Keystone XL jobs

Published February 15, 2014

As jostling continues over the proposed Keystone XL pipeline, boosters of the project talk about how it will create “tens of thousands of jobs” in Canada and the United States. Forget TransCanada’s own application to the U.S. State Department, which said that, at its peak, the company would require about “3,500 to 4,200 construction personnel” to […]

Top 5 howlers in Jim Flaherty’s budget speech

Published February 11, 2014

Here are the top 5 howlers in Jim Flaherty’s budget speech, delivered in the House of Commons on Tuesday afternoon after the 2014-15 budget was tabled. 1. Great job creator? “Since the depths of the recession Canada has led the G-7 in job creation.” It sounds good, but there’s a reason Flaherty doesn’t talk about […]

The slippery reach of Big Oil’s PR machine

Published February 5, 2014

The Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers seems to be everywhere these days, selling the idea that the rapid development of the tar sands without federal emissions regulations constitutes a “balanced” approach. The group represents big oil companies operating in Canada, so there’s no shortage of money to spend to try and shape the debate […]