Chief Questions Government over Oilsands Permits

Chief Questions Government over Oilsands Permits

Tuesday, August 26, 2008 at 14:49

 

 

The chief of the Clearwater River Dene nation says he’s not sure Saskatchewan tax-payers have been well-served by a recent oil-deal.

 

 

The band is calling for an inquiry into how Powermax Energy acquired 1.4 million acres of oil-shale permits for 2 cents per acre which it then sold to Oilsands Quest.

 

 

The band wants to know why the permits were sold so cheaply when their current value is much higher.

 

 

According to the first nation Oilsands Quest has listed the value of its oil sands permits at five hundred and twenty-eight million dollars in its filings with the U.S. Securities Exchange Commission.

 

 

Clearwater Chief Roy Cheechum says provincial residents have been paid pennies while losing billions.

 

Cheechum says Oilsands Quest is being treated very well by the Saskatchewan government and he thinks the same should happen for other stakeholders too.