CAODC's Oil Respect petition e-216 Presented at the House of Commons

For Immediate Release: September 20, 2016

The most signed e-petition ever presented in the House of Commons, since the practice began in 2013, calls on the federal government to champion the oil and gas industry.

Ms. Shannon Stubbs, Member of Parliament for Lakeland (Alberta), officially presented an e-petition in the House of Commons calling upon the federal government to vocally support the oil and gas industry, new pipelines across Canada, and hundreds of thousands of employed and unemployed oil workers. The petition was signed by 34,537 Canadians from across the country and represents one of the highest signed House of Commons e-petitions in history.

Mr. Mark Scholz, President of the Canadian Association of Oilwell Drilling Contractors (CAODC) and spokesperson for Oil Respect, a campaign demanding respect for Canadian oil and gas workers, families and businesses stated, “The majority of Canadians are not activists or paid protesters. The fact that this is one of the highest signed e-petitions reaffirms that the majority of Canadians support the oil and gas sector, and support pipelines provided they are built and managed responsibly.”                                                                             

Mr. Bernard Hancock, an oil and gas worker struggling to find employment in the downturn stated, “Canada is a world leader in the responsible development of its oil and gas resources and I see this firsthand in the field. I want my government to champion the men and women who work hard to make our industry the best in the world.”

Mr. David Lefebvre, Director General of the Quebec Oil and Gas Association, an Association created to encourage dialogue in Quebec about the potential of the province’s emerging oil and gas industry and to make Quebec a leading oil and gas producer stated, “It is important to understand how crucial it is for our industry to bring its products efficiently to markets, and how much economic activity depends on it. This is true for producers, would be producers, and the entire value chain of our industry.”

Pipelines are the safest method of transportation for petroleum products. A lack of pipelines to new markets means Canada receives far less than world prices and is required to import oil from countries with lower environmental, labour and human rights standards.

-30-

The Canadian Association of Oilwell Drilling Contractors (CAODC) represents Canada’s drilling and service rig industry.

For more information, contact:

John Bayko
Vice President, Communications
Canadian Association of Oilwell Drilling Contractors
Suite 2050, 717-7 Avenue SW Calgary, AB T2P 0Z3
Phone: 403 264 4311 ext. 120
Email: jbayko@caodc.ca