Layton zeroes in on oilsands

EDMONTON – NDP leader Jack Layton slammed the generous tax breaks given to Alberta’s oilsands industry and called Saturday for more restrictions on the industry’s development.

In Edmonton for a two-day visit, Layton said he agrees with a draft report from a House of Commons committee recommending the cancellation of federal tax breaks for oilsands operators and a limit on greenhouse-gas emissions from the oilsands. The 93-page report by the Commons natural resources committee was obtained by the Canadian Press.


“We’ve called for the tax subsidization of oilsands development to end for a long time,” said Layton.

“They’re certainly not needed with the profit levels in the industry now and we don’t need to fuel even more rapid development of projects right now.”

Layton said the growth of the oilsands industry is outpacing sound planning for the region. He also stressed the need for emissions caps on the country’s biggest polluting industries.

Edmonton Journal