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“It should be withdrawn from the budget bill,” said Martin, who added that there is a large proportion of the United States opposed to the drilling.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.”
What America does on its own land, is America's business. I don't recall Canada being granted any say in the American constitution, nor in the state constitution of Alaska.
Regards, Ivan
Here's a good rule of thumb: If the "environmentalists" are for it, oppose it. If they're against it, support it.
Sounds like this jughead is ready to "give up." ROTFL!!! Alaska is a U.S. state you hoser. Why don't you buy a globe, eh?
Butt out!
HELL YEAH!!!
Look who is complaining about parliamentary maneuvers. LOL Paul you should be ashamed!
There he goes, embarrassing decent Canadians again.
I guess Canada will have to invade us then...
Canada sells a lot of oil and gas to the US, it's in their interest to keep prices high.
If Paul Martin and the Vuntut Gwitchin people were really concerned for the well-being of the Porcupine caribou herd, they would DEMAND that ANWR be drilled.
Thanks to the warmth provided by oil moving thru the pipelines, calving mortality rate is greatly reduced.
Accordingly, the leftists are lying in order to serve another agenda...
Memo to Martin: 60 votes is not a majority, it's a supermajority. There is absolutely no basis in the law for ordinary legislation to require a supermajority.
Idiot.
I doubt they could muster anyone besides Liberal Party activists to even try. Let's see, Canadian Liberals versus the Alaska State Police? No contest.
Regards, Ivan
60 votes? What the hell is he talking about?
Can't upset that pristine desert, eh?
Hmmm....I thought 51 votes was a majority of 100. Must be new math.
Wah! Waaaah! Waaaaaaaah!
Sniveling socialist!
I am just old enough to remember the same damn hand wringing, phony tears, and prediction of doom and extinction when we needed to build the Alaskan oil pipeline.
The eco-nuts have cried "Wolf" too many times, they have no crdibility left.
And just in case this A** is unaware, WE own Alaska, so he can just STFU and take care of his own damn country!
Canada's Liberal government is begging to be knocked over - it's corrupt, it's venal and it's so far to the left probably George Galloway is considering buying a second home there. Enough, really...I am waiting for Canadians to vote this monstrosity out.
Regards, Ivan
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.