PR Giant Launches Alberta Astroturf Group

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Hill and Knowlton, one of the five largest public relations firms in the world, has launched a new Astroturf group to fight against increased oil royalties in Canadaโ€™s largest oil-producing region.

GetItRightAlberta.ca advertises itself as a coalition of โ€œconcerned Albertans, including private citizens, small oil and gas companies and members of the investment community.โ€ But Dave Cournoyer at DaveBerta.ca, has turned up the true origin of this fake grassroots organization. (Nice one, Dave.)

As Dave has also reported, Albertaโ€™s Conservative Premier has been fending off criticism (from the Auditor General, among others) that his government is undercharging oil companies at a time when fossil fuel profits have never been higher. And now a damning new Alberta Royalty Review Panel Report has come down hard, saying, โ€œAlbertans do not receive their fair share from energy development.โ€

The panel recommends a significant increase in the royalty rate and an improvement in how Alberta collects its due. And suddenly, โ€œconcerned Albertansโ€ are rising up to defend the wealthiest industry in the world. Daveโ€™s opening question becomes cogent: โ€œWhoโ€™s behind GettingItRightAlberta.โ€ We can only imagine which โ€œconcerned Albertansโ€ care enough, and can afford H&Kโ€˜s fee structure, to pretend a grassroots organization is up in arms.

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