Top Harper Aide Used $15 Million Environmental Grant To Meet With Oil Cos, Plot PR, Strategy & Image

[hatrack]

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An original agreement among the universities stated the partnership would help co-ordinate and support research to protect the environment or develop and deploy new technology to help reduce pollution. Carson has said the role included regular meetings and partnerships with top oil and gas CEOs such as Imperial Oil's Bruce March and Suncor's Rick George to engage the public about the industry's image. It also included special assignments from former environment minister Jim Prentice as an adviser "on all facets of Canada's GHG reduction plan," as well as dealings with Lisa Raitt and Christian Paradis, the former and current ministers of natural resources, according to Carson's online biography.

He was the only employee of the think tank to earn a six-figure salary in his first few months on the job, getting a total of $139,203 in salary, benefits, relocation and accommodation allowances during 2008-2009, the school's first report revealed.

Carson has taken a leave of absence following a report on the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network that prompted Harper's office to ask the RCMP and two federal watchdogs to investigate Carson's involvement in an Ottawa-based water-filtration company.

But before the news broke, he was meeting regularly with ministers and senior officials in government as several departments worked in partnership with industry on a communications strategy to fight back against criticism and block climate change policies in other countries that targeted energy sectors with heavy environmental footprints such as the oilsands.

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http://www.canada.com/news/decision-canada/Former%20Harper%20adviser%20altered%20partnership%20mandate%20improve%20oilsands%20image/4524316/story.html

[applegrove]

1. I wish this story would come to fruition in time for the early May election.... I can dream can't I?