VICTORIA – Premier Christy Clark says she’s removing herself from her government’s dealings with a new British Columbia oil refinery proposal that has ties to her former husband, Mark Marissen.
Vancouver company, Pacific Future Energy Corp., is pitching a $10-billion oilsands refinery on B.C.’s north coast, with plans to connect Alberta’s oil resources with Asian markets.
Marissen has been hired as the company’s executive vice president of communications.
After consulting with B.C.’s conflict-of-interest commissioner, Clark says she’ll recuse herself from any business regarding the proposal and will hand over any and all contacts and decisions on the project to Finance Minister Mike de Jong.
Pacific Future Energy Corp. says the refinery will be the world’s greenest and built in full partnership with B.C. First Nations.
B.C. newspaper publisher David Black also plans to build an oil refinery at Kitimat, on B.C.’s northwest coast.