As Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Alberta Premier Ralph Klein continue to lead the anti-Kyoto charge on the political front, it now appears that that Tory activists are also working the public relations campaign to muddy the waters -- especially by backing the activities of the Alberta-based climate change denial machine: “Friends of Science. [1]”

Morten Paulsen of the international PR and lobby firm, Fleishmann-Hillard [2], is listed as the media contact [3] for the Friends of Science. Paulsen is a well-connected conservative. Among other things, he was long-time Alberta Director of Organization for the Reform Party until its name change to the Canadian Alliance in 2002 and Director of Communications for Preston Manning. [4]

Paulson also held other positions throughout the PC and CPC parties:

• 2006 [4] – Co-Chair of the Alberta PC’s AGM and Convention
• 2004 [5] – Campaign Manager, for Calgary North East MP, Art Hanger
• 2002 [6] - Spokesman for the Canadian Alliance party
  
• 1996 – Executive Assistant to the Chief of Staff of the Leader of the Official Opposition, Preston Manning

Most recently, Friends of Science have financed and organized a speaking tour by the self-appointed climate expert Dr. Timothy Ball [7]. It seems more than coincidental that a group of climate change skeptics, working with a Conservative Party insider, come together just as Harper and Klein begin the public spin battle to get out of Canada’s obligations under the Kyoto Accord. I

It is, in fact, another example of the degree to which the Tories have taken a page pulled from the 2003 Frank Luntz [8]Republican playbook on dealing with the climate change issue.

Deny, deny, deny publicly and stall, stall, stall politically.