Foreign interests on hunting panel

No contradiction, Conservatives say

OTTAWA – While the Conservatives accuse some Canadian environmental groups of using foreign money to attack domestic interests, the government’s new hunting and fishing advisory panel includes organizations influenced and funded by sources outside Canada.

A handful of the organizations on the government’s new committee also are current or past recipients of funding from Tides Canada, a charitable agency that supports environmental and social causes — but which has been attacked by Conservative parliamentarians for accepting foreign donations and distributing it to groups lobbying against Canadian interests.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced this week his government is creating a hunting and fishing advisory panel that will help craft government policy on environmental protection and wildlife management.

Composed of provincial and territorial representatives from hunting, angling and other associations, the panel will report directly to the federal environment minister.

The panel includes 19 organizations from across Canada, many of them well-known and respected, such as wildlife federations from several provinces. However, some of the charitable groups that are well-established in Canada are heavily funded and influenced by foreign sources and organizations.

Environment Minister Peter Kent maintained this week the government is not being hypocritical by criticizing some environmental groups for their international donors as it seeks advice from organizations supported and influenced by foreign entities.