EDMONTON, AB: Wildrose is renewing calls for Oil Sands Advisory Group (OSAG) co-chair Tzeporah Berman along with OSAG member and STAND National Director Karen Mahon to be fired after both appointees spent the weekend campaigning against Alberta’s energy sector, the Wildrose Official Opposition said today.
On Sunday, Berman said “Decarbonization means managed decline,” after University of Calgary economist Trevor Tombe showed how much more production capacity Alberta could see with both the Keystone XL and Trans Mountain pipelines. Last July, Berman compared Alberta’s oil sands to “Mordor”.
On Saturday, Mahon sent another fundraising email titled “Stopping pipelines is now more important than ever,” and continued to spread mistruths about Alberta’s energy industry. This follows information showing Mahon has been actively fundraising on the side to block the Trans Mountain pipeline.
“Premier Notley can’t keep ignoring these radical comments from Ms. Berman or Ms. Mahon, or anyone else on this oil sands advisory panel,” Wildrose Shadow Minister for Electricity & Renewables Don MacIntyre said. “At a time when Albertans are hurting so badly, this parade of attacks on our province’s energy industry is unhelpful, hurtful and downright wrong. I’m calling on the Premier to show some leadership and direct these folks to the exit.”
MacIntyre said OSAG has lost all credibility under the direction of Berman.
“This group isn’t just out to lunch on the facts about our energy industry, but its members, who are obviously being emboldened by Ms. Berman, are actively trying to block pipeline projects.”