Canadian e-petition shows strong support for oil and gas

Drilling association calls on federal government to ‘vocally support’ the industry

The Canadian Association of Oilwell Drilling Contractors has tapped into a gusher—of public support, that is.

In recent weeks, the CAODC delivered what was at that point the most signed e-petition ever presented in the House of Commons—with 34,537 autographs of Canadians from coast to coast.

The Oil Respect e-petition, officially presented by Member of Parliament Shannon Stubbs, called for the federal government to “vocally support the oil and gas industry, new pipelines across Canada, and hundreds of thousands of employed and unemployed oil workers.”

It’s estimated that more than 100,000 direct and indirect jobs have been lost in Canada since the steep decline in oil prices in late 2014.

Pipelines are the safest method of transporting petroleum products. A shortage of pipelines to new markets, say the CAODC and others, means that Canadian crude does not earn fair market value—and, as a result, Canada imports oil from countries with lower environmental, labor and human rights standards.

“In 2013 alone, eastern Canada spent a whopping $26 billion on oil from Saudi Arabia and other foreign countries. Just imagine if those dollars had stayed in Canada – supporting Canadian jobs and Canadian companies, both in turn paying taxes to support our hospitals and schools,” remarks author Colin Craig in a recent Winnipeg Sun commentary.

The Quebec Oil and Gas Association was created to encourage dialogue in Quebec about the potential of the province’s emerging oil and gas industry.

“It’s important to understand how crucial it is for our industry to bring its products efficiently to markets, and how much economic activity depends on it,” says David Lefebvre, director general of the Quebec Oil and Gas Association.

“This is true for producers, would-be producers, and the entire value chain of our industry.”

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