Company suing Canada for $250 million
- Details
- Published on Sunday, 29 November -0001 16:00
- Written by editor
Big Oil is taking Canada to court for $250 million, because Canada won't let it frack the St Lawrence River.
Call on American-owned Lone Pine Resources to drop this ridiculous lawsuit.
A,
A huge, American-owned oil and gas company is suing the Canadian government for $250 million for protecting the St Lawrence River from fracking exploration. This week, Lone Pine Resources is in court to try to force Canada to pay for Quebec’s decision to protect one of the most important waterways in the country.
This dirty tactic is yet another attempt by the oil and gas industry to whittle away Canada’s democratic rights. Lone Pine will do whatever it... takes to ensure that no regulation gets in the way of its profits.
Lone Pine is in court right now. But groups like Council of Canadians, Common Frontiers, and Leadnow banded together on Tuesday to show up at the tribunal with blimps and banners to distract the arbitrator who recessed the hearings. Now, we need to call on Lone Pine to drop its baseless, profit-driven lawsuit.
Sign the petition calling on Lone Pine to drop its $250 million lawsuit against Canadian taxpayers.
Lone Pine executives are suing Canada under a NAFTA provision called the Investor-state Dispute Settlement (ISDS) which allows corporate lawyers to sue governments to overturn important labour and environmental protections just to maximize profits and protect corporate interests.
If Lone Pine wins the lawsuit, it will be another example of a growing and disturbing trend in Canada where corporations rule government through bullying and intimidation. Ultimately, it could open the St Lawrence River to fracking exploration. This is why we need to call on Lone Pine to drop the lawsuit.
Lone Pine: Drop the $250 million lawsuit against Canadians.
Outrageously, Lone Pine lawyers are claiming that Canada’s commitment to protect the St Lawrence River from fracking is unlawful because it cuts into Lone Pine’s profits --- this is an unbelievable overreach of corporate power and must be stopped!
Lone Pine is wasting millions of taxpayers dollars on this pointless lawsuit. This isn't the first time ISDS has been abused to maximize profits and intimidate elected officials. In just one example, an ISDS tribunal ordered the Canadian government to pay Exxon-Mobil, the world’s largest oil and gas company, $17.3 million after the company challenged a sensible government guideline that insisted any investors in offshore exploration must invest in local research and development. Lone Pine's lawsuit is another intimidation tactic to try to change Canada’s stance on fracking in the St Lawrence and we’re demanding it to be put to bed.
SumOfUs has fought these lawsuits before, and we can stop them again. Right now, SumOfUs members are working hard across North America to put an end to the corporate power grabbing allowed by ISDS and while we do, let’s put a stop to this ridiculous lawsuit before millions of important tax dollars are flushed down the drain. Call on Lone Pine today to drop its pointless lawsuit now.
Thanks for all that you do,
Angus, Maggie, and the team at SumOfUs
More resources:
Leadnow condemns NAFTA arbitration hearing between Lone Pine Resources and Canada, currently underway in Toronto Wire Service, October 3 2017
Lone Pine, Company Suing Canada Over Quebec's Fracking Ban, Aggressively Lobbying in Ottawa Desmog Canada, May 25 2016
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