New report reveals energy sector adds $9000 per Canadian household -Engine of Canada's Economy

CALGARY, March 18, 2014 /CNW/ - By any reasonable standard, Canada exports a lot of energy. Public perception towards energy trade in our country is often negative, especially when it comes to the oilsands and pipelines. We all know the criticisms - but what about the benefits of an energy economy? A ground-breaking report released today from The School of Public Policy offers a fact-based examination of the economic benefits of our energy sector.

Author Trevor Tombe shows that over the last decade, growth in Canada's energy trade has been nothing short of historic, with energy exports equivalent to nearly $9000 for every Canadian household in 2012. And this startling number is not expected to drop, as Tombe reveals that forecasts for the next two decades suggest exports may double.

Concerns over the negative implications of the energy sector often do not take into account the benefits of the sector to workers as well as the economy, "The energy sector adds much to Canada's economy, with value-added and productivity higher than any other sector. And, when it comes to labor compensation, oil and gas extraction is the highest-paying sector in the country."

As Canada's energy trade grows, so too will the need for intelligent debate, which will require high-quality and objective information. This report provides the facts and analysis necessary to improve the quality of discussions and decisions on Canada's energy policy.

The report can be found at http://policyschool.ucalgary.ca/?q=content/taming-skew-facts-canadas-energy-trade

Video with caption: "Video: Trevor Tombe presents the findings of his report on Canada's energy trade on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on March 18, 2014". Video available at: http://stream1.newswire.ca/cgi-bin/playback.cgi?file=20140318_C5864_VIDEO_EN_38104.mp4&posterurl=http://photos.newswire.ca/images/20140318_C5864_PHOTO_EN_38104.jpg&clientName=The%20School%20of%20Public%20Policy%20%2D%20University%20of%20Calgary&caption=Video%3A%20Trevor%20Tombe%20presents%20the%20findings%20of%20his%20report%20on%20Canada%27s%20energy%20trade%20on%20Parliament%20Hill%20in%20Ottawa%20on%20March%2018%2C%202014&title=THE%20SCHOOL%20OF%20PUBLIC%20POLICY%20%2D%20UNIVERSITY%20OF%20CALGARY%20%2D%20New%20report%20reveals%20energy%20sector%20adds%20%249000%20per%20Canadian%20household%20%2DEngine%20of%20Canada%27s%20Economy&headline=New%20report%20reveals%20energy%20sector%20adds%20%249000%20per%20Canadian%20household%20%2DEngine%20of%20Canada%27s%20Economy

SOURCE: The School of Public Policy - University of Calgary

Media Contact: Morten Paulsen, Phone: [phone], Email: [email protected]