Was it #NDP Duncan, #LPC Iggyites or #Bloc Who Helped #CPC Kill #Oilsands Report?

When I first wrote about this issue, I suspected it was Iggy's fault: 'MPs cancel oilsands pollution probe, tear up draft reports'-But How? Opposition Had Majority On Committee! But then the Edmonton Journal said it was the NDP's Duncan: NDP Duncan Voted For Killing Probe! WTF?! 'MPs destroy drafts of pollution review' Last night, I tried to remind people of this by disseminating Nikiforuk's excellent piece of diligent journalism in the Tyee: 'What Those Who Killed the Tar Sands Report Don't Want You to Know' But it remained an open question as to which Opposition member(s) were responsible for helping the CPC kill it. Scarpaleggia is unlikely to kill the report of the study he started back in January 2008. So it's probably one or more of the other Opposition, Duncan, McGuinty, Tonks, Bigras or Ouellet. The Bloc seems the least likely, given views and minimal political risk. So it's down to Duncan, McGuinty & Tonks.

I thought Tonks might have been sent in to do job, in place of JTrudeau, but Alison pointed out that would be strange, given he led the previous oil sands inquiry, and of course, McGuinty was once head of the NRTEE, etc.. But both Tonks and McGuinty are Iggyites. However, now, in addition to the Edmonton Journal, the Hill Times has a dynamite piece that strongly infers that Duncan may have been one of the responsible parties (it helps to be able to read and honest enough not to edit articles to one's own partisan benefit, as some do.) That seems surprising. But as noted on Afghanistan, the NDP gets up to some weird anti-LPC posturing that leads them to support the CPC, sometimes, on even the biggest issues, life and death, like Afghanistan. Now read the BOLDED bits. Duncan sure doesn't seem all that sorry about death of report and opportunity to write her own and doubtless blame everyone for not being NDP. So if I'm reading Nikiforuk right, NDP wanted to own oil sands issue, Duncan's approach was purely pro-forma, so she could say post-facto she'd done it, but actual propositions were nowhere near enough to LPC &/or Bloc positions to actually allow united front, exactly as on Afghanistan. I don't know, it's all very strange, and as noted, I'm happy to blame Iggy influence on LPC if that's the case. But that's not how the Edmonton Journal and Hill Times read:
Conservative MPs accused of killing damaging committee report on oil sands

The lone NDP committee member, Linda Duncan (Edmonton-Strathcona, Alta.), said she is doubtful the report will see the light of day again. She and other members noted that, procedurally, a committee-generated study like the oil sands issue takes a backseat to statutory reviews referred to the committee by the House. Several of those are piling up before the committee, with Parliamentary-imposed deadlines attached, Ms. Duncan said.

"THE LIKELIHOOD OF [REOPENING THE OIL SANDS REPORT], WITH EVERYTHING ELSE ON OUR PLATE, AT THIS JUNCTURE—I DON'T SEE ANY VALUE IN IT," SAID MS. DUNCAN.

Ms. Duncan recognized that witnesses such as Mr. Nikiforuk and Prof. Schindler are disappointed in the study's result.

Ms. Duncan said she approached other opposition members about writing a report together but was turned down.

Liberal member Francis Scarpaleggia's (Lac-Saint-Louis, Que.) assistant Gweneth Thirlwell told The Hill Times that he said his party would write its own, to be finished likely before fall. MR. SCARPALEGGIA WAS THE MP WHO ORIGINALLY CALLED FOR THE STUDY IN JANUARY 2008, AND LAST MONTH ACCUSED THE CONSERVATIVE COMMITTEE MEMBERS OF BLOCKING THE FINAL REPORT SO AS NOT TO RELEASE A DOCUMENT THAT COULD INCLUDE INFORMATION ON THE NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF THE OIL SANDS THAT COULD HURT THE GOVERNMENT.

"I think Francis Scarpaleggia and probably Linda Duncan actually have very similar views on what's wrong. I think partisan politics has separated them," said Mr. Nikiforuk.

Mr. Scarpaleggia did not respond to questions verbally, but in a statement to The Hill Times said "Other parties are free to [write their own reports]. Nothing is lost from that perspective."