Alberta oilfield worker Bernard Hancock has become an unofficial spokesperson for Canadaâs beleaguered oil and gas industry, after the roughneck made an impassioned plea to federal politicians on Parliament Hill.
Dressed in a red hard hat and greased work overalls, was in Ottawa last week, for the presentation of one of the largest-ever presented to the House of Commons. Signed by more than 34,000 Canadians, the petition calls for better respect for Albertaâs oil industry.
Hancock said heâs speaking out for Albertans, many of whom are desperately seeking employment.
âIâm not a guy from Calgary in a suit, Iâm not a guy whoâs knowledgeable about public policy or the processes that go on in buildings like this, Iâm a roughneck,â he told reporters on Parliament Hill. âIâm a guy who has a job in Alberta whose livelihood has been threatened.â
In an interview on CTVâs Your Morning on Monday, Hancock said he made the trip to Ottawa to try and persuade the government to take action. The situation remains bleak for those who depend on the oilfield industry for employment, he said.
âItâs extremely difficult,â Hancock said. âThereâs guys out there who work in minimum-wage jobs, just to make it. Thereâs consultants out there rough-necking, breaking their backs and theyâre 45 years old.â
Whatâs worse, Hancock added, is that the unemployed people trying to get those back-breaking jobs wonât get hired, âbecause these employers know that once the patch picks up, these guys will leave.â
Blaming the current employment situation on low oil prices is a âdisingenuousâ argument, Hancock said. âInterest rates are low, the Canadian dollar is low, and services are cheaper than theyâve ever been, and oilfield companies plan on 20- to 30-year timelines.â
The petition presented to the House of Commons calls on the government to champion the oil industry and ârecognize that we need to get our product to tide water,â Hancock said.
He said a lack of new pipelines inhibits Canadaâs ability to move oil, and thus be competitive as possible on a global scale.
âWe need safe, reliable transport of our resources and we want to promote the most ethical and environmentally responsible jurisdiction in the world, and the good Canadian people that work in it,â Hancock said.
He said, while pipeline leaks are a âreasonable concern,â no one wants to see another tragedy like the 2013 rail disaster in Lac Megantic, Que.
âWeâve got to think about what the alternative is to not building these pipelines, and ⌠thatâs more rail transport,â Hancock said.
He also said Canada shouldnât be importing oil from countries in the Middle East, where he says many citizens, such as those in the LGBT community, face human rights abuses.
âCanadians donât seem to realize that if donât produce this product here, itâs geo-politically destabilizing, and weâre helping out our enemies in countries that do not respect human rights,â Hancock said.
Hancock said he doesnât think Canadians outside of Alberta understand the scope of the pain being caused by high unemployment rates in the province.
âFamilies are being destroyed, guys are having to come to the banks with the keys to their homes,â he said, adding itâs âtime Canada sticks up for Alberta.â
In a statement to CTVâs Your Morning, the federal government said it will be tabling a response to the petition in Parliament, and until then canât speak to the specifics of the petition. The Ministry of Natural Resources also said it is working to address the situation in Alberta.
âBudget 2016 includes measures to support the creation of a more resilient sector over the long term and help Canadian families affected by the recent downturn in the industry,â the statement said.