TORONTO - Alberta's energy minister wants the federal government to promote the province's oilsands in the face of what he calls "slam-the-oilsands" campaigns -- and he's going to Ottawa to push for support.
Ron Liepert says Prime Minister Stephen Harper and his government need to embrace the oilsands in order to turn Canada into an energy superpower.
The minister spoke to a Toronto business audience today as part of Alberta's efforts to clean up the oilsands' "dirty oil" image.
He is headed to Ottawa on Thursday to appear before the House of Commons Standing Committee on Natural Resources.
A U.S. environmental group launched an anti-oilsands campaign called "Rethink Alberta" this fall, urging tourists to avoid the province.
Film director James Cameron toured the region in September on a fact-finding mission after calling the oilsands a "black eye" on Canada's image during a UN forum earlier this year.
The oilsands are the world's second-largest crude oil reserve.
