Conservatives should disclose public funds spent to push Keystone XL

OTTAWA, March 14, 2013 /CNW/ - The Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union of Canada (CEP) is calling for a full accounting of the public money spent lobbying in favour of the highly controversial Keystone XL pipeline. In recent weeks several Conservative ministers have flown to Washington to push the approval of the pipeline while Harper has made it the top priority for Canada's embassies and 22 consular offices in the U.S for 3 consecutive years.

"The Conservatives have spent millions of public dollars to push for a pipeline that will export Canadian jobs, trample First Nations rights undermine domestic industrial  policy and is bad for the environment" said CEP National President Dave Coles.

Canadian officials have presented at town council meetings, taken newspaper reporters to high-end restaurants and organized countless other activities in their zest for Keystone XL. On Tuesday Minister Oliver attacked Thomas Mulcair for not joining the Conservatives lobbying parade in Washington D.C.

"In their obsession for this job-killing export pipeline, the Conservatives have even insinuated that the leader of the official opposition is a traitor," said Coles. "They are so far out of left field on this issue and it is time they live up to the costs of their adventures down south".

The Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union of Canada represents 35,000 members employed in oil and gas extraction, transportation, refining, and conversion in the petrochemical and plastics sectors, and 120,000 members in total.

SOURCE: COMMUNICATIONS, ENERGY AND PAPERWORKERS UNION OF CANADA

Dave Coles, [phone]