On the eve of a second day of protests against oil tankers and pipelines in British Columbia, Canada's most outspoken proponent for developing Alberta oil sands called into question the funding and "selective morality" of the protesters.

Lobbyist, author and talk show host Ezra Levant responded to questions from The Vancouver Observer about his opinion on the enormous protest outside the BC legislature on Monday, organized by Defend Our Coast. The collective consists of Canadian citizens, environmental groups, and citizens' rights advocacy groups. An estimated 4,500 people gathered outside the BC legislature in Victoria.

"Right now, half of Canada's oil consumption is imported by tanker ships on the east coast, including oil from OPEC dictatorships like Saudi Arabia. Why are these protesters so opposed to tankers exporting ethical oil, but so silent about many times more tankers importing conflict oil?" Levant said to The Vancouver Observer.

"I wonder if that selective morality has anything to do with who is funding these professional protesters in BC."

Levant is the founder of Ethical Oil, which calls itself an "online community that empowers people to become grassroots community activists on the front-lines of the campaign for ethical oil."