Five environmental organizations are following through on a threat to sue Alberta Premier Jason Kenney and the provincial government for defamation.
In documents filed Wednesday, the groups allege Kenney deliberately twisted the findings of a public inquiry into their funding and whether they were conspiring to landlock Alberta oil by spreading misinformation about its environmental impacts.
The inquiry, headed by Steve Allan, found the groups had done nothing wrong.
But the groups allege that after Allan's report was released, Kenney made public statements and social media posts that kept falsely accusing them, statements that were repeated on government websites.
A private law firm hired to defend Kenney and the government has not filed a statement of defence and a spokesman for the premier's office says he can't comment on a matter before the courts.
Paul Champ, a lawyer for the environmental groups, says his clients filed the lawsuit because they feel political leaders shouldn't be able to use their office to bully those they disagree with.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 2, 2022.
Comments
they should be allowed to criminalize people they disagree with. right on. donate to Environmental Defense,or any other defend the environment from extraction industry group!! the captured governments sure aren't doing it
I'm glad to hear that these environmental groups (which one?) are suing Kenney and the Alberta government for defamation. Kenney has done his best to demonize these organizations and has wasted at least $30 million of taxpayers' money in the process-money that could have been used in the Health Care System, for example.
The modern right relies on lies, generally wild, outright lies, to sway people. Often those lies are defamatory, and it's good to see someone pushing back against this dangerous pollution of public discourse. It would be nice to at least turn back the clock to when they had to stick to relatively careful distortions of the truth.
Stand Earth contacted us for donations this morning so we know they are among the claimants.....we would have donated, but suspect George has it covered....lol and don't believe it!!!
Ideological right wingers who believe they get to make up reality, rather than govern in accordance with it, are dangerous to all of us. This process should prove interesting........particularly if those of us who claim we stand with the earth and actual climate policy put our money where our mouths sometimes are.
There should be consequences for liars. Otherwise, how will we convince our children not to lie?
It would be nice if the article included the names of the five environmental groups doing the suing. I'd like to donate to the cause. A successful suit would be a great precedent.
The War Room picked a fight and lost on the first round, mainly by tripping, dropping the ball, having its pants fall down, forgetting to tie its shoe laces, scoring own goals, embarrassing the referee, and losing the address of the arena three times.
Love it.