The latest attack by critics of fossil fuels is courtesy of veteran Ontario New Democratic Party MP Charlie Angus, who wants to make promotion of fossil fuels illegal.
Angus tabled a private member's bill in the House of Commons last week. He has compared his proposal to legislation in the 1990s and early 2000s that banned tobacco advertising. Frankly, it's absurd that he would compare the energy sector, with its vast benefits for the Canadian economy, to tobacco, with its myriad of health consequences.
He says he wants to outlaw corporate campaigns making false claims about the benefits of burning fossil fuels. But when you read through the act, you see the sweeping list of items that would be banned if Angus has his way.
For example, he wants to jail those who speak well of fossil fuels.
Does that mean this editorial would become illegal? Does this mean that previous opinion pieces that have promoted the oil and gas sector, or the use of carbon capture and storage in coal-fired power, should have resulted in fines or even jail time?
This isn't the first opinion piece to appear in the Mercury that promotes fossil fuels. And it won't be the last, no matter what an MP in Ontario wants us to do.
But it goes deeper. Social media posts promoting oil and gas would be illegal. That "I love Canadian oil and gas" bumper sticker on a vehicle? According to this private member's bill, it should be banned.
It would become a crime for anyone to argue that one fossil fuel is less harmful than other fossil fuels. Or there could be jail terms for anybody arguing that the oil and gas sector is a key funder of the Canadian health-care system or schools in Saskatchewan.
Maybe Mr. Angus doesn't realize this, but police in this country have better things to do than to round up people who promote oil and gas. And our already clogged justice system has better things to do than to handle Angus' fantasy cases.
Remember when Regina city council passed, and then backtracked, on that bizarre legislation a couple of years ago that would have made it illegal for fossil fuel companies to advertise and sponsor with the City of Regina. Angus has gone further.
Well, if Angus is serious about creating legislation similar to that facing tobacco, then TS&M's naming rights would be gone from the Woodlawn Golf Course.
All of the youth hockey teams and baseball teams that are sponsored by energy companies would have to turn to somebody else.
Would you see an energy company's name attached to fundraisers? Nope. Would they be able to make a cheque presentation during the United Way Estevan telethon? Probably not.
Oil and gas companies make donations to recreational and cultural groups that benefit so many people. Westmoreland Mining LLC and the United Mine Workers of America Local 7606 make big contributions as well.
It feels like he's so intent on controlling the narrative when it comes to our energy sector that he'll try to silence anybody who opposes him, even though there's nothing illegal about the energy sector, and even though there's no hatred or discrimination in their message. Oil and gas just wants people to know about its benefits.
The provincial NDP in Alberta and Saskatchewan have understandably and justifiably distanced themselves from Angus' absurdity. The only mistake they made was not doing it sooner.
The good news? It's a private member's bill from a federal NDP MP. They have 25 MPs. It's highly unlikely this will pass. The Liberals haven't been known for adopting great policies over the past eight years, but they have enough pragmatic people left in their caucus that they will stop this.
Mr. Angus is entitled to his opinions, no matter how wrong they might be. It's too bad he's so insecure in what he believes that he feels the need to muzzle others.
