NDP Questions Suncor's Role in Syria

MPs wonder why Canadian natural gas plant in Syria has so far remained exempt from sanctions.

As the international community moves to bolster sanctions against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad for his brutal crackdown on anti-government protesters, the NDP is asking why Suncor, the Canadian energy giant, has yet to suspend its massive natural gas facility in Syria. So far, the Canadian government has laid sanctions banning the sale of petroleum to Syria, as well as sanctions to freeze assets and ban travel. But the Suncor plant has remained exempt, despite it being run in concert with the country's state oil agency. The $1.2-billion facility provides electricity for about a tenth of the Syrian population, so there has been reluctance to penalize the people of Syria for their president's misdeeds. But the NDP's Helen Laverdiere, filling in for Paul Dewar as foreign affairs critic, said that Canada has "to put our money where our mouth is" and level some sanctions that actually have teeth. The Tories have indicated that they will be introducing tougher sanctions on the Assad regime, although they have yet to say just what those will entail.