Kindly note the header date: "various FR links | 03-17-04 |" and the first derisive reply. Who's laughing now?
Posted on 08/23/2005 10:12:00 PM PDT by John Lenin
‘We’re not going to give up,’ PM vows
By Julia Skikavich
The Canadian government won’t sit aside and just wait for the U.S. Congress to pass legislation in September that will permit drilling for oil in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR), says Prime Minister Paul Martin.
“We’re not going to give up. I can tell you that – we are not going to give up,” Martin told the Star Monday during a telephone interview.
“I have personally raised this on a number of occasions with the president (George W. Bush). I made it a major issue when we met in Texas.
“I have raised it on a number of occasions. We have raised it with members of Congress. We have raised it with members of the Senate. And we will continue to do so,” said Martin.
The refuge is the calving grounds of the Porcupine caribou herd, which is the lifeblood of northern Yukon’s Vuntut Gwitchin people.
If the drilling of the 607,000 hectares of the refuge’s coastal plain in Alaska is permitted, many expect it to have devastating effects on the herd.
Some members of the American administration have been pushing to drill in the refugee for more than 20 years. However, previously the issue has stood as part of energy legislation and has never managed to be passed.
This year, though, in what Republican Sen. John McCain describes as “backdoor” methods, the drilling of ANWR has been attached to the Budget Reconciliation Act.
This piece of legislation only needs to earn 51 votes to go on and be signed and made law by Bush, a proponent of the drilling.
“The ANWR drilling was put on in a strange and bizarre and Byzantine fashion on the budget,” McCain told reporters during his visit to Whitehorse last week.
“They actually backdoored ANWR, because they never would have had 60 (out of 100) votes, so they used a parliamentary maneuver so they wouldn’t require a majority.”
“It should be withdrawn from the budget bill,” said Martin, who added that there is a large proportion of the United States opposed to the drilling.
“The fact is that we have provided permanent protection to the herd. This is consistent with the 1987 Canada-U.S. Agreement of the Conservation of the Porcupine Caribou Herd and we have urged the U.S. government to do the same,” he said.
The agreement obliges Canada and the U.S. to refrain from any activities that could damage the herd or its habitat.
The Canadian government has stood by this agreement. It has provided permanent wilderness status for the herd’s habitat in Ivvavik and Vuntut National Parks in the Yukon.
“The Americans look upon this as a domestic issue despite the fact that what we are dealing with both in terms of the Gwitchin and other aboriginal people in the North and in terms of Porcupine caribou herd, we’re dealing with a cross-border issue,” said Martin.
The caribou herd migrates from the coastal plains on the northeast corner of Alaska and into the Yukon for the winter months.
For thousands of years, the caribou have been the mainstay of the Gwitchin people, said Lorraine Peter, the NDP MLA for Vuntut Gwitchin.
“It’s part of our culture. It touches the Gwitchin people to the very core of our being,” she said. “It’s an issue that is going to to impact us for the rest of our lives and for generations after.”
Said Martin: “To the Gwitchin and aboriginal people, this is going to have a serious impact on their way of life. I think you don’t play with people’s lives loosely.
“The connection between the viability of the Porcupine herd and way of life of the Gwitchin is very clear.”
“The administration’s position is that those oil reserves can be explored in an environmental manner without adversely affecting the wildlife or the environment in Alaska,” David Wilkins, the U.S. Ambassador to Canada, said during a press briefing during a visit to the Yukon earlier this month.
But Martin disagrees.
“No matter what sort of environmental safety measures you put in hand, especially in this time of global warming, you’re taking great chance with the herd.”
Beyond the possibility of an oil spill, the impact of the introduction of heavy equipment, pipelines and roads are expected to forever alter the life of the herd and other wildlife in the refuge.
“Fundamentally, I think obviously the environmental case is open and shut,” said Martin. “The moral case is open and shut. But I think there’s a very strong economic case to say this makes no sense.”
Some estimates suggest there are up to 10.4 billion barrels of oil available in the coastal plains. However, other research indicates there are only six months’ worth of economically recoverable oil and it wouldn’t be available for approximately 10 years.
“We’re not dealing with a lot of oil or gas,” said Martin. “The structures are small. They’re scattered. To the best of anyone’s knowledge, it remains to be seen if those small pockets make it economical to remove them, and there’s even statements that the oil may have drained away years ago.”
Though Martin said he hopes to see the legislation fail before it gets much farther, there is still a window of opportunity to combat the issue even if the budget bill does get through, because drilling may not occur for up to a decade.
“If, by any chance, that bill were to pass, then we will continue at it.”
Martin declined to discuss any legal ramifications that might be involved with drilling in ANWR in relation to 1987 agreement, stating it’s too early to have an impact on that argument.
“Let me just say, that we will pull out all of the stops in trying to maintain the ecological integrity of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge,” he added.
Having the prime minister step forward and make statements on the refuge at this time is fundamentally important to the pending vote, said Monte Hummel, president emeritus of the World Wildlife Fund of Canada.
As the date of the congressional vote nears, the prime minister’s statements will send a signal this is a priority and will help set the “diplomatic machine” of the Canadian embassy and consulates in motion to hopefully win over the swing votes of some American senators, said Hummel.
Peter agreed having the support of the prime minister is “absolutely” important to advancing the opposition vote.
She also hopes last week’s visit of drilling opponents Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.), McCain and Sen. Susan Collins (R-Me.) to the Yukon will also help the fight.
“The visit to the Yukon, itself, had a huge impact on how they will see the North now and first nation people,” Peter said.
“When they are back in Washington, they will be more educated than they were before, and hopefully be able to educate their colleagues. They can look at the bigger picture now.”
Peter said she wishes Premier Dennis Fentie would show more support on behalf of the Gwitchin people, especially in Alaska, where Gov. Frank Murkowski is a vocal proponent of the drilling.
Fentie has received a great deal of criticism regarding ANWR in recent months, though he has said repeatedly he has made the Yukon’s opposition to the drilling known.
Fentie was unavailable to comment this morning.
In the meantime, Martin said the Canadian government will focus on putting the maximum amount of pressure on those who will be voting.
“What we’ve got to do is support those in the United States who oppose this.”
Peter and Joe Linklater, chief of the Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation, will travel with 10 other first nation delegates to Washington, D.C. Sept. 17-21 to lobby for the support of more members of the Senate.
Yukon MP Larry Bagnell will be joining them on Capitol Hill on Sept. 20 for a major rally to oppose drilling in the refuge. Bagnell previously told the Star that Rodham Clinton indicated she would also be there.
“Canada is right on this,” said Martin. “This is a very strong, emotional issue for Canada, as it is for (the Yukon), as it is for Canadians no matter where they live.
“This is a northern issue, but this is also a Canadian issue. I feel very strongly about this and Canadians feel very strongly about this.”
Kindly note the header date: "various FR links | 03-17-04 |" and the first derisive reply. Who's laughing now?
Yes, there certainly is a lot about the liberal Canadian government (and Canadian liberals, no less) to suggest the lecturing, attitudinal busybody. Unfortunately for Canada, what used to be a conservative country of conservatives predominant, has since been misled by misguided liberals from the U.S. having moved there because they found open territory and not enough social resistence to what they were offering (and are now).
Canada without imports, hmmm...you'd have, well, not much. It's a sad statement as to Canadian lack of self reliance, and over reliance (by controlling liberal bare-majority or minority barely in office, depending upon what stats you abide by) on wrong influence on others.
I remember earlier times when Canada was actually far more conservative than most of the U.S. Now seems implausible but it did once exist.
"they used a parliamentary maneuver so they wouldn’t require a majority.”
Son of a gun! I always thought 51 out of a hundred votes was a majority. Guess I'm no good at the new McCain Math.
It's none of Canada's business what the United States does within United States.
Prime Minister Paul Martin is just demonstrating what a complete fool he is.
Again.
This has nothing to do with animals, it's about protecting Canada's growing hold over the North American oil market. When will idiot environuts realize that almost every cause they fight for is manipulated for the sake of someone's pocketbook, not the environment? Unless maybe they already know, and aren't really concerned about the environment after all..
Oh, and if Canada wants to strap on their ice skates and give a shot at invading Alaska, go right ahead, because it's the only way they'll get a say in our business. Hell, we won't even need to worry about it in the continental states, the state National Guard will take care of the Canadian "military" just fine.
The reason Caribou are there is to feed the oil workers.
Canada the Imperialist. Who would have known it would be taken over by the leftist empire too.
It's none of your business, you Cannuck busybody, what we do on our territory. I'd be ashamed to admit I had citizens depending on carribou for their living in 2005.
Incidentally, there are far fewer Americans opposed to drilling ANWAR today than there were when gas was $.89/gal.
Canada? CANADA?!?!
Didn't that used to be a country or something?
I seem to recall Hockey or some 'ice sport' coming from there at one time... long ago.
And the Alaskan native Americans that would be directly affected by the drilling support it.
Who gave those people the right to tell us what we can and cannot do in our own country? We have enough trouble with the environuts and Rats doing that.
"We're not going to give up"? Martin forget his country is half French? "Plunk your magic twanger, Froggie!"
I wasn't aware Canada had any right to tell us what we could do with our property? Is this simliar to their thought they had the right to vote in our elections? LOL
If Canada feels it has a right to say we can't drill, does that mean we have the right to demand they participate in their own missile defense?
Or is Canada going to send their military over here to seize our land, the only way they can determine we cannot drill for oil in our land. No, can't be, 'peaceniks' wouldn't know where their military was to give that order. And I doubt they want to face our military.
maybe they wish to appeal to the revolutionaries on our Supreme Court. Well, they might have some success there since foreign law is apparently the law of the land.
Canada is beginning to make France look moderate in comparison.
I was checking out all the posts to make sure that someone pointed this out. Thanks.
http://www.negativepositive.org/fuck-canada.html
All you ever needed to know about Canaduh is in that link. :)
He doesn't want Americans to drill in an area that they own since it "may" hurt a few animals .... but my Prime Minister allows a seal hunt, which to some is very brutal, in Newfoundland!!!!!
He doesn't want Americans to drill in a sensitive area but allows oil and gas companies to drill in sensitive areas offshore in Newfoundland and also allows supersonic jets to fly over sensitive areas of Laborador according to some!!!!!
My Prime Minister is an a$$hole who should shut his piehole.
Last I checked ANWR was in the U.S. (unless it's not)
If it is, why does anything Canada says matter?
Hell, when does ANYTHING Canada says matter?
“......They actually backdoored ANWR, because they never would have had 60 (out of 100) votes, so they used a parliamentary maneuver so they wouldn’t require a majority........”
Can you believe the new standard???!!! A majority isnt enough anymore with the new filibuster technique...
Thanks, Daschele and Kennedy...
Screw you, Canada.
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