Americanisation of the Canadian Government

I was struck by the April 16 story in the Ottawa Citizen Don't 'cheerlead' oilsands, officials warned government: 

http://www.ottawacitizen.com/business/cheerlead+oilsands+officials+warned+government/6463960/story.html

It seems Natural Resources Canada has been actively lobbying and marketing the benefits of developing Alberta's oil sands without balancing the message with the associated environmental challenges and trade-offs.  This sounds like something the oil industry itself would and regularly does.  Has the Canadian Petroleum Association co-opted Natural Resources Canada officials to make them a mouthpiece for the Industry?

It sure smacks of that to me.  Reports of Industry led training sessions for bureaucrats on how to market the communications plan and stay on message is downright shocking to me.  I was surprised this story disappeared as quickly as it did and was not reported on more widely.

When I worked for the Industry Canada on bilateral weights and measures device standardization issues with the U.S., I got the distinct impression that our Department of Commerce counterparts in the U.S. were under strict guidelines that Industry not only had to be consulted when introducing new technical requirements, but it was the Industry that had the most, if not the final say in adoption.

In fact we got the distinct impression that the American government does not do anything affecting industry's bottom line without getting industry's blessing, in advance.  Another way of stating this is that Industry runs the American government.

Well we now seem to have Industry with a toe hold in Natural Resources Canada.  That can spread quickly to other Departments with a Conservative government actively making it happen.  Lest you think that I am an apologist for the Bureaucracy, I also spent the first part of my career working as an engineer in the oil industry.  We use to sit around the table telling stories of how stupid the government of the day was.  Hence, I have seen it from both perspectives.

I don't like to pay taxes so government officials can deliver Industry messages particularly when we don't have a clear picture of what is going on in the back room.  Sounds like the Americanisation of the Canadian government to me.

D.