Gordon Isfeld, National Post (National) Financial Post, Page: FP1 / FRONT
OTTAWA - If we have learned anything about the process that ultimately led to CNOOC Ltd.'s successful takeover bid for Nexen Inc., it is how much we did not know.
Often controversial and more often confusing, Canada's corporate investment environment is a maze of regulatory bodies, legislation and opaque terminology - as history shows.
Burnaby-New Westminster MP Peter Julian received the runner-up award for the Most Knowledgeable MP in the Maclean's magazine annual Parliamentarian of the Year Awards.
"I am honoured to receive these recognitions for the parliamentary session, but I am very conscious of the fact that the knowledge I am able to bring to Parliament is the result of representing Burnaby-New Westminster, Canada's most diverse and most extraordinary riding," Julian said in a press release.
But perceptions in Latin America are changing, say observers here and there, as conflicts pitting Canadian mines against local communities become entrenched and spread across continents, and the line between those companies and the Canadian government becomes increasingly blurred.
"Last week, there were demonstrations outside the Canadian Embassy in Mexico. But it's not just Mexico, it's throughout the region," says Daviken Studnicki-Gizbert, a history professor at McGill University and the coordinator of the McGill Research Group Investigating Canadian Mining in Latin America. "What embassy in Latin America has not been the locus of protests because of a Canadian mine?
Unfortunately, one year ago today, Canada became the first signatory to withdraw from the Kyoto Protocol. This announcement takes effect today.
While the rest of the world is moving forward in the fight against climate change, Canada is falling behind. We are leaving a huge ecological, economic and social debt to future generations.
New Democrats are more determined than ever to fight against the Conservatives’ disastrous attacks on the environment. We want to make our country a leader in the green energy economy.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper lays out the federal government's response to takeover bids for Alberta oil firms by foreign state-owned enterprises
The impact of Ottawa's new restrictions on foreign state-owned enterprises on the wider business climate will take years and more regulatory decisions to determine, said several analysts who spent the last several days deciphering the new rules.
Mr. Peter Julian (Burnaby—New Westminster, NDP): Mr. Speaker, there are still no answers. The Prime Minister's improvised press conference last Friday demonstrated how the Conservatives are mismanaging foreign investment.
The CNOOC takeover approval, coupled with the Canada-China FIPA is a dangerous mixture. CNOOC will have unprecedented rights in Canada, and now it is entitled to national treatment, meaning it has carte blanche to expand in Canada, including buying up oil sands leases.
ROBERT FIFE (Reporter): After months of delay and debate, Prime Minister Stephen Harper gave the green light to two monster takeovers of the country's oil and gas sector.
STEPHEN HARPER (Canadian Prime Minister): These decisions are not the beginning of a trend but rather the end of a trend.
FIFE: Cabinet approved the Chinese state-owned conglomerate's $15 billion purchase of Calgary-based Nexen, one of Canada's premier independent players in the oil patch. It also gave thumbs-up to a $6 billion takeover of natural gas giant Progress Energy Resources by a Malaysian state enterprise.
Time for partisan politics long gone, time now for leadership and action on green economy
Without decisive action from the federal government, Canada will miss out on this critical opportunity in the green energy sector.
NDP MP Megan Leslie, NDP MP Peter Julian
Clean, sustainable energy isn't just good for the environment it makes good economic sense. The green energy sector not only holds significant potential for Canada to reduce our carbon emissions and meet our domestic energy needs, but to also establish ourselves as key contenders in the manufacture of renewable energy technology.
Mr. Peter Julian (Burnaby—New Westminster, NDP): Mr. Speaker, Canadians are asking these questions because they know, after these last few months of sheer incompetence, Conservatives cannot be trusted to manage foreign investment. The Conservatives just want to sell out Canada.
Conservatives claim they will limit foreign-state control of the oil sands and yet the FIPA with China will do the opposite. They did not get reciprocity, they gave away national treatment rights to companies like CNOOC. The Conservatives do not even seem to understand the agreement they signed. They approved the CNOOC takeover of Nexen and they signed the Canada–China FIPA which gives special rights to CNOOC. Why were they so irresponsible?
The NDP opposition motion put forward by NDP Natural Resources critic Peter Julian calls on the government to lay out specific net benefit criteria, improve the transparency of decisions and to require public consultations on changes to the Investment Canada Act.
“The Conservatives rubber stamped a deal that leaves the Canadian economy vulnerable to foreign government interference, in secret with no public consultation,� said Julian. “This is unacceptable and we need immediate action on the Investment Canada Act to ensure that this doesn’t happen again.�
Feds hope approval of Nexen deal will open door to more Canadian investment in China
DANIEL PROUSSALIDIS, PARLIAMENTARY BUREAU
The Winnipeg Sun (Final) News, Page 5; the Calgary Sun (Final)
OTTAWA -- With Chinese government-owned CNOOC getting the thumbs-up to buy its way into the oilsands, the feds are raising hopes that the Chinese economy will become more open to private Canadian investment.
DAVID AKIN, PARLIAMENTARY BUREAU CHIEF, The Edmonton Sun (Final) News, Page 18
OTTAWA -- Prime Minister Stephen Harper gave China's authoritarian rulers an early Christmas present Friday by offering them a bigger piece of Alberta's oil patch.
As a result, a company controlled by the communist government of China will be allowed to acquire Calgary oil and gas producer Nexen for $15 billion.