OPEC & Obama launch civil suits against Canada

OTTAWA, Ontario – Canada has been named in a civil lawsuit put forth by both the Obama administration and OPEC.  The lawsuit names the Alberta oilsands as a direct threat and liability to both the American and Middle Eastern ways of life.  

It appears that the recent plummet in the price of oil has finally driven both parties to act, and it seems they have Canada square in their crosshairs.

We are not quite sure what to make of this lawsuit, or what it will mean for Canada in the long run.  It appears we will have to revisit NAFTA and our joint energy policies with the USA.  While we have no real programs in place with OPEC, or how our Alberta oilsands effect them to the point the need to sue us is beyond me.  We will deal with it, however, in a manner suitable to all parties.  – Geoffrey Hunderghanden, Energy Council of Canada legal representative

The lawsuit names the oilsands as, and we can quote, “The largest and most offensive process in the modern world.”  This statement is ratified through a series of arguments that take aim at the location, method, cost, and ramifications of all oilsands extraction programs.  It reads quite like an NDP manifesto, and outside analysts believe that a link may exist between the timing of the lawsuit and the recently elected majority NDP government in Alberta.

There is no question we are suspicious about the timing of this.  A lawsuit degrading Alberta and oilsands production just days after a party renowned for its hatred of the tarsands gets elected to control them.  I would like to know if the new premier has any say in what happens now, or if she’ll simply defer to her lofty, more academic members for their expert opinions. – Chad Arturinio, Legal Analyst with Hunnam & Jingo

Further details of the suit are not available at this time, and 2P News is surely the frontrunner to receive updates from Harper after our recent round of golf and drinks with him in Ottawa.  He was tight lipped with Darcy and myself, but we definitely got the feeling whatever plays out will reform the political landscape of the world as far as the energy sector is concerned.  

With court dates or official responses not yet available, it is hard to say what the timeframe is for any decision, although it is highly likely the Harper government will simply concede to the superpowers, and then reach a settlement that would probably make Mike Duffy blush.