Fort McMurray Forum

Thomas Mulcair's stance on the industry apparently unchanged by a trip to the Oil Sands City.

The Federal Leader of the Official Opposition is using his Alberta tour as a platform to attack the province's environmental record and export strategy.

"It means upgrading and refining our own natural resources right here in Canada, and in particular in Alberta, instead of building pipelines to ship raw bitumen for example, over seas, it means making polluters pay for the pollution they create, rather than leaving that cleanup to future generations," said Mulcair.

Mulcair says he agreed with Alberta Premier Alison Redford's call for a national energy strategy, but says that plan should focus on environmental stewardship within the resource sector.

Mulcair toured Suncor operations and spoke with the Mayor this morning, a meeting which saw the NPD leader reiterate his concern over industry's effect on inflation.

(With files from the Canadian Press, Edmonton.)