“It is a shame that the federal energy minister is so misinformed when it comes to the future of oil and gas in Canada and around the world.

“Wilkinson falsely claimed that oil and gas will be peaking this year, that the market is inevitably declining and that making more investments in this industry, supporting it and defending it will allegedly make Canada poorer.

“We shouldn’t be surprised that this comes from a government whose anti-energy and anti-development policies broke Canada.

“Let us be absolutely clear, Alberta’s government remains committed to increasing oil and gas production. Small, medium and large companies are actively investing in oil and gas growth all across our province to reach this target.

“The demand for Alberta’s oil is only growing and reached record production in July. Alberta has recently developed new markets in Asia. Millions of people die every year from energy poverty. To kill the oil and gas industry would be to condemn developing countries to energy poverty.

“It is Alberta’s responsibility to meet this demand.

“All reputable international forecasters predict this growth to continue for years to come. Alberta’s oil and gas sector is driving Canada’s economy, and we will continue to defend the sector by any means possible.”