Update: Mea Culpa Below

If Canadian Natural Resources Minister Joe Oliver is looking for ideologues and “foreign special interest groups” who are trying to interfere with the proposed Northern Gateway pipeline hearings, he need look no farther than the Board of Directors of pipeline proponent Enbridge Inc.

Oliver got his lapels all flecked with foam last week over pipeline criticism from Canadian environmental groups such as the David Suzuki Foundation or the Pembina Institute, organizations which, in a good year, might get almost 10 per cent of their funding from U.S. sources. These, he said, were clearly “radical groups” that were “driven by an ideological imperative” – and they were meddling inappropriately in Canadian affairs.

But according to a secret source (okay: it’s the company website), Enbridge Chair David Arledge and six of the 12 Enbridge directors are (everyone get ready to gasp in unison): AMERICANS!

These directors, though, couldn’t possibly be part of the plan to paint environment groups as “foreign special interest” boogeypeople, could they? If you’re wondering, tune into this video: Ethical Oil spokester Kathryn Marshall is sure to leave you convinced.

Mea Culpa

Two things:

1. An alert reader has questioned my assumptions, challenging the “American” characterization of Maureen Kempston-Darkes, who is a Canadian citizen with an American address (and who can blame her; Florida is nice this time of year and Ms. Kempston-Darkes can certainly afford to move back to Toronto when the climate goes to hell).

2. I’m a bad speller, which weakness I am disinclined to correct if it continues to bring in funny comments about boogiefolk.