Graham Mitchell to be the chief of staff to Alberta’s minister of ener

[PIK]

Graham Mitchell is a powerful anti-oilsands activist based in Toronto. Until yesterday, he was the executive director of a U.S.-funded lobby group called Leadnow.ca.

They specialize in organizing anti-oilsands street protests and producing slick anti-pipeline YouTube ads.

Mitchell was also the director of training and leadership at the Broadbent Institute. Last year he organized a boot camp teaching people how to campaign for a moratorium on fracking.

And Mitchell is a registered lobbyist in Ottawa. As of yesterday, his lobbying disclosure form lists among his goals “asking that the Conservative federal MPs in BC pressure cabinet to stop the Enbridge Northern Gateway Pipeline.” He’s been an eco-activist since his days as Jack Layton’s assistant on Toronto city council.

Fighting against oil and gas is his job. But it’s also his personal passion. His Twitter feed is full of personal jabs, demonizing “Big Oil” and anyone who deals with them. He’s a practitioner of the activist tactic of “denormalization” – demonizing an industry until it is no longer considered socially acceptable.

Mitchell has an impressive resume. But it got more impressive this week. Alberta’s NDP Premier, Rachel Notley, appointed Graham Mitchell to be the chief of staff to Alberta’s minister of energy.

A Toronto anti-oilsands activist – still registered as an anti-oil lobbyist – is now running Alberta’s energy department.

There are twelve ministers in the Alberta cabinet, including Notley herself, each with a chief of staff. And ten of those chiefs are, like Mitchell, NDP activists from other provinces, many of whom will commute each week to Alberta from Vancouver, Toronto, or elsewhere. More.......

http://www.therebel.media/meet_alberta_s_new_chiefs_of_staff

And people think this is ok. Our county is in big trouble with the likes of these people running the show. And just think if mulcair gets in, hello greece. And what is with bringing in people from all over canada, can't find any people in alberta. People better wake up and wake up fast.

Edited September 1, 2015 by PIK

[Keepitsimple]

Here's a link to the actual story......apparently the energy minister didn't even hire him......it was done by the Premier/Premier's office. Where have we seen that story before? If you think the NDP will be doing some sort of "new" politics", think again. Just keep your eye on these guys in Alberta.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/marg-mccuaig-boyd-s-chief-of-staff-worked-for-anti-pipeline-lobby-group-1.3110152

[overthere]

The Minister of Energys most direct connection with the oil and gas industry is that she probably has a gas furnace in her home, and she has experience sending them a cheque every month.

So who is McCuaig-Boyd?

For starters, she lacks any direct experience working in the oil and gas industry. By profession, she was a teacher and administrator with the Peace River School Division. After decades in the school system, she worked as a vice-president with the Grande Prairie Regional College in the town of Fairview, about 80 kilometres west of Peace River in northern Alberta.

Before her successful election campaign for the NDP in the riding of Dunvegan-Central Peace, McCuaig-Boyd was semi-retired, running her own consulting company.

Nothing is a surprise, the chiefs of staff are political appointees with political agendas. They get their orders daily from Notleys office, then tell their Ministers what to do, say and think.

Much more worrisome is the recent appointment of BC poltical operative John Heaney to a newly created and very senior civil service post in Alberta.