Canada imported over 35.5 million barrels of oil from Saudi Arabia in 2017, according to stats released by the National Energy Board. We also imported oil from the United States, Azerbaijan, Norway, Nigeria, United Kingdom, Angola, Russia, Colombia, Kazakhstan, Oman, Trinidad and Tobago, Ghana, and the Ivory Coast. We have more than enough oil reserves in Canada to eliminate our need to import oil. Even though we have some of the best, if not the best, environmental standards and practices in the world, the environmental and foreign oil lobbyists have convinced us to continue importing oil from places like Saudi Arabia and Russia. I find the vast oil imports from Saudi Arabia particularly egregious in light of the propaganda campaign against Canada currently underway in Saudi Arabia. As reported by the National Post, the false propaganda against Canada is truly alarming. According to Saudi-owned Al Arabiya TV “75 per cent of Canadian detainees die before standing trial.” If you think that statement is outrageous, check out this statement from a commentator on Saudi TV recently: “Canada has one of the world’s highest rates of oppression against women.” This is incredible coming from a country where women are lashed for adultery if they are raped. I hope that these ridiculous claims against Canada will help to open our eyes to the folly in importing oil and giving our wealth to people who hate our country and way of life when we could be producing our own oil and creating wealth for ourselves. All of the opposition that helped kill the Energy East pipeline seemed foolish to me at the time but now the consequences of our decisions seems far more serious.
