Editor, The Times:
Recently the Fraser Institute received some $500,000 from the notorious Koch brothers to produce video and lesson plans that cast doubt on climate change (Stephen Maher, Edmonton Journal).
Now let’s see here – along with bogus school assessments (private schools good, public schools bad). The school that my 25 children from my six underaged wives attend in Bountiful is the best in B.C. – and other now totally discredited free market nonsense, I have to ask what does the Fraser Institute produce that’s worth anything?
Yet, most B.C. papers have from time to time columns by Mark Milke and Niels Veldhuis, both of whom work for the Fraser Institute.
However, enough of those far right distorters of Adam Smith. Back to Stephen Maher, who also deals with Ethical oil, which, as Maher states, is not a branch of the Conservative government but acts like one.
Founded by Alykhan Velshi, who now works in the Prime Minister’s office, this organization has attacked such groups as Tides Canada, which opposes the oil sands.
This is chillingly reminiscent of Sun Media’s earlier attacks on the CBC, knowing that they (Sun Media) had an ally in Stephen Harper and his neo-cons.
Also, as Stephen Maher states, he is not against the development of the oil sands (“the goose that lays the golden eggs”), but the Conservatives do little to minimize its environmental impact.”
Neither will this change in the future. With a comfortable majority, the Conservative can ignore ice shelves breaking off near both poles, droughts, etc., and they will.
Dennis Peacock
Clearwater, B.C.
