Greenpeace Canada is asking Elections Canada, the agency responsible for federal elections, to investigate whether the Ethical Oil Institute is colluding with the ruling Conservative Party in order to get around rules that limit donations to political parties.
“We have compiled some very troubling evidence on the relationship between Ethical Oil and the Conservative Party that we believe merits investigation by the Commissioner of Canada Elections,” said Keith Stewart of Greenpeace Canada. “Our laws still ban oil companies from directly or indirectly funding political parties, so we hope that Ethical Oil and the Conservative Party will cooperate with the Commissioner in an investigation to clear this up.”
Stewart, Greenpeace Canada’s Climate and Energy Campaign Coordinator, says Ethical Oil is using money raised from individuals and companies to attack government critics who are against the tar sands.
The Ethical Oil Institute runs a website called EthicalOil.org that urges people to support Canada’s oilsands. The site, set up in 2011, “encourages people, businesses and governments to choose Ethical Oil from Canada, its oil sands and other liberal democracies.”
The Canadian government has proposed legislation to change election laws to avoid fraud and control spending. However opposition critics say the proposed Fair Elections Act will take away the right to vote to hundreds of thousands of Canadians, and is opening up loopholes on election spending.
The next federal election is in 2015.
More information:
CBC News – Greenpeace calls for Elections Canada probe of Ethical Oil – here
Greenpeace Canada press release(pdf) – here
Ethical Oil website – www.ethicaloil.org
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