OTTAWA — Opposition critics and energy experts are questioning Prime Minister Stephen Harper's contention that Canada can't move to curb greenhouse gas emissions from the oil and gas sector without American alignment.
Harper this week flatly ruled out what he calls unilateral action on long-awaited regulations, which his government has been promising since 2007.
New Democrats Megan Leslie and Libby Davies each asked the government today to provide some evidence it has begun talks with the U.S. administration over common oil and gas regulations.
Conservatives in Parliament responded by attacking NDP policies.
Experts in the energy sector, meanwhile, say many jurisdictions — including the European Union, Norway, a number of U.S. states and Alberta — have moved ahead with their own oil and gas sector regulations.
They say there's no reason Ottawa can't do the same.
Economist Andrew Leach of the University of Alberta, calls Harper's comments "astounding."
Leach says he wonders if the prime minister really believes the oilsands industry is so fragile that it is between 10 and 40 cents a barrel away from collapse — the cost Leach says a regulatory regime would impose.
