Greenpeace activists let it all hang out at Premier’s fundraising dinner

Two climbers dangled from the catwalk above the fundraising dinner, distracting the approximately 1,700 supporters of the Alberta Conservative party, who each paid $450 to listen to Premier Stelmach speak at the annual Edmonton Premier’s Dinner held at the Shaw Conference Centre.

“The Alberta government needs to stop being the lapdog of big oil and start listening to Albertans who have repeatedly said they want to stop tar sands development,” said Mike Hudema, tar sands campaigner with Greenpeace. “This administration is leaving behind a toxic legacy of lapdog politics. There hasn’t been a single tar sands project that has been rejected. It appears the Premier is either unwilling or unable to say no to big oil, despite the massive costs to Albertans.

“The Athabasca, Peace and Slave rivers have lost nearly half their water and for the next 50 years Western Canada will continue to face diminishing water supplies,” continued Hudema. “While the profits are shipped across the border, Albertans are left to clean up the mess.”

Conference centre staff removed the banner and tried unsuccessfully to remove the climbers. As of 7:15 p.m. MST the climbers were still in place.

High-resolution photos will be available momentarily at www.greenpeace.ca/gallery.

For more information, please contact:
Jessica Wilson, Media and Public Relations Officer, 778-228-5404
Mike Hudema, Tar Sands Campaigner, 780-430-9202 or 780-504-5601