STOP DIVERTING GREEN MONEY TO OIL COMPANIES: NDP

 OTTAWA –The Harper Government’s funding of environmental projects is coming under more criticism today with new allegations that money from the ecoEnergy program is being diverted from funding green technologies to oil sands research and development.

 “Only the Harper government would have the gall to take money away from sustainable energy alternatives and put it into more subsidies for the oil sands,” said New Democrat Natural Resources and Energy critic Peter Julian (Burnaby-New Westminster).  “This fund was supposed to be used to help Canada develop real alternatives to carbon and pollution heavy energy sources. It’s sad to see it become just another oil industry slush fund.”

 “It was bad enough they killed a popular, job-creating, energy saving program,” said Nickel Belt MP Claude Gravelle. “Canadians will be furious to learn they passed the money to their friends in oil.”

 The ecoEnergy Innovation Initiative is a program created in 2011 aimed at greening Canada's energy consumption. Unfortunately, like other environmental programs it has been mismanaged by the Conservative government. Previous reports revealed that the Green Infrastructure Fund has spent only a quarter of its funding and has allocated money for green project to a gas pipeline and even to support Infrastructure Canada's offices. 

 “The Harper government has no interest in developing new and green energy sources for Canada,” said Jamie Nicholls deputy Natural Resources and Energy critic.  “This is an irresponsible decision that means Canada’s sustainable energy industry will be playing catch up to the rest of the world for years to come.”