Time to take action against foreign-funded saboteurs

Re: Time to question outside influence on oil debate, Opinion, Oct. 7.

It’s a pity that The Vancouver Sun attached such a wimpy headline to Barinder Rasode’s powerful column on the pernicious influence of the California-based Tides Foundation on Canada’s resource industries. Your timid, “Time to question outside influence on oil debate,” obscures the fact that other commentators, including Vivian Krause in this very newspaper, have been calling for investigation of the manipulative tactics of the Tides Foundation for many years.

Cancellation of Energy East, Northern Gateway and the LNG project, plus the precarious status of Kinder Morgan and flight of investment from the oilsands are stark evidence of the pervasive pressures exerted by this organization and its partners. Throughout his career, Gerald Butts, chief of staff to our prime minister, has served as a top strategist for environmental pressure groups allied with and funded by the Tides Foundation. Today, Butts pulls the strings while our PM preens. It’s long past time to “question” the stifling influence of foreign-funded lobbies on rational resource development in Canada. It’s time to face the fact that under the guise of environmental sustainability they are systematically sabotaging our economy — and call out the hypocritical politicians who support and encourage their actions.

Gayle Stevenson, Bowen Island