Re: 鈥淗ow foreign groups influence our vote,鈥� column, March 24.
I recall many years ago, as an organizer of the annual Peace Walk and a disarmament volunteer, being informed that all us 鈥減eaceniks鈥� were being funded by the Russians. Millions in Soviet funds were being lavished on Canadian peace groups. The thing is, none of us ever saw a dollar of those phantom millions. Our funding came from bake sales, auctions and good old pass-the-hat.
Now Gwyn Morgan, whose resum茅 includes work with the Alberta Energy Company and its successor Encana, SNC-Lavalin and the Fraser Institute, informs us that the only reason British Columbians are against pipelines is because they are receiving millions of dollars of 鈥渁nti-oil money鈥� from the U.S. It鈥檚 all this cash that has convinced First Nations to protest against oilsands development, helped elect Andrew Weaver and supported the Dogwood Society.
This must be news to the Dogwood Society, whose modest offices are staffed mainly by volunteers and which regularly sends out begging emails to supporters to help it keep going.
Mr. Morgan, those of us who bother to read scientific reports regarding climate change can think of many reasons why we don鈥檛 want oilsands expansion, and why we don鈥檛 want pipelines delivering dilbit to our coast. We don鈥檛 need millions of U.S. dollars to convince us.
Perhaps your next column could include coverage of the millions spent by oil companies to oppose climate-change legislation.
Susan Gage
Victoria
