ENGO’s to go under microscope
Canada: Environmental groups in Canada are abusing their tax-free charitable status by running political interference paid for by foreign interests, says a Canadian member of the Senate
Opinion, Odd Grydeland, FishfarmingXpert, March 2, 2012
Resource-based industrial operators in British Columbia have for a long time been aware of the fact that many of their Environmental Non-Government Organization (ENGO) critics have received a large portion of their funding from wealthy philanthropic organizations that were establish by rich industrialists in the United States. But it wasn’t until the Vancouver-based blogger Vivian Krause started to really dig up the dirt on these transactions that everybody started to realize the scope of the “environmental” business conducted by these ENGO’s. Her investigations originally focused on the concerted efforts by American foundations to “de-market” farmed Canadian salmon in favour of “wild” Alaskan salmon- much of which comes from hatcheries just like farmed salmon. According to Krause, a single U.S.-based foundation paid B.C.- based ENGO’s some $17 million (~€12.8 million) towards this goal. This initiative has resulted in a tripling of the ex-vessel value of Alaskan salmon since 2003- to $500 million (~€375 million) annually- at the expense of farmed salmon.
This issue has now reached the Canadian Senate, where Senator Nicole Eaton has now pledged to launch a new inquiry into the involvement of foreign foundations in Canada's domestic affairs and their abuse of existing Revenue Canada's charitable status. "This inquiry is about masters of manipulation who are hiding behind charitable organizations to manipulate our policies to their own advantage," she told the Senate in early February. “Honourable senators, I rise today to open an inquiry that will reveal astounding information. It surprised me and I hope it will surprise you. It will make your blood boil and, hopefully, it will prompt us all to action”, she said. “There is political manipulation. There is influence peddling. There are millions of dollars crossing borders masquerading as charitable foundations into bank accounts of sometimes phantom charities that do nothing more than act as a fiscal clearing house. They dole out money to other charities without disclosing what the money is for. This inquiry is about how billionaire foreign foundations have quietly moved into Canada and, under the guise of charitable deeds, are trying to define our domestic policies”.
The Senator didn’t mince her words when she continued; “It is about organizations that are lining their own pockets by getting involved in whatever causes are the latest trend. It is about has-been and wannabe movie stars trying to defibrillate their flatlined careers. It is about anything to undermine the credibility of the Canadian brand — our Canadian identity in Canada and around the world. However, do the charitable and non-governmental organizations that accept enormous amounts of money really represent the interests of Canada, or do they pander to the interests of their foreign masters? Is it really about the environment, or is it about something much bigger and much more profitable? It is about how they use the majority of their resources for political activities and lobbying and about entities that are set up as charitable organizations but, in fact, do not even have an office in Canada, just a post office box. Cleverly masked as grassroots movements, these interests are audaciously treading on our domestic affairs and on Canadian sovereignty, all under the radar”.
And Vivian Krause was quoted in the Senator’s statement, making a reference to the myriad of B.C.- based ENGO’s: “One thing is sure: when 36 organizations are all funded by a common, foreign source, their multi-million dollar campaign — with paid, full-time staff, expensive billboards and state-of-the-art web-sites — is anything but a grassroots operation”.
Senator Eaton’s statement to the Canadian Senate continues: “According to preliminary calculations conducted by Vivian Krause, U.S. foundations have poured at least $300 million into the environmental movement in Canada since 2000 — $300 million. The Tides Foundation of California injected at least $6 million into 36 Canadian organizations. The David Suzuki Foundation has been paid at least $10 million by American foundations over the past decade. The Hewlett Foundation based in California has channeled $13.6 million to Tides Canada between 2002 and 2007. Key Canadian organizations supported by international foundations with the intent of influencing public opinion and policy direction have acquired Canada Revenue Agency charitable status, and they issue tax receipts, even though much of their activity could be deemed as highly political. Many are operating as lobbyists without following any of our rules.
Patrick Moore, formerly with Greenpeace Canada, points out that it is not a charitable act to interfere in the sovereignty of a country. We need to make it clear that they cannot come here to our country and incite Canadians to turn against us, or even worse, pay agitators to come here and provoke demonstrations and protests against our own country. This is not a partisan issue, nor is it a regional one. It is certainly not an environmental issue. This is a Canadian issue; a patriotic issue. This is about our sovereignty and economic well-being
