Nixon “appalled” anti-oil activist named to AER board

EDMONTON- The United Conservative Party is condemning the appointment of a former Pembina Institute executive director to the board of the Alberta Energy Regulator.

The party’s house leader Jason Nixon says he is appalled that an anti-oil activist has been named to the board of the energy regulator.

Nixon likens the appointment of Ed Whittingham to activist Tzeporah Berman’s placement on the Oilsands Advisory Board.

“It’s not hard to speculate how much better our province’s economic state would be today if the activists’ pressure campaign for the US President to block Keystone XL did not succeed, nor how better off our country could be if Energy East did not die in 2017,” said Nixon. “I wish I could say I was shocked that the NDP would appoint such an individual to the AER. But for those of us who have followed the NDP’s long history of anti-oil, anti-pipeline activism, this latest appointment is perfectly consistent with the NDP’s history.”