Offshore spill won't happen to Canada: PM

Prime Minister Stephen Harper saysa "horrific" oil spill similar to the onein the Gulf of Mexico couldn't happenin Canadian waters becauseof the federal government's strong offshore drilling rules.

Harper'sdefence of Canada's drillingprotocols came afterNDP Leader Jack Laytoncalled on himto convene an emergency meeting of G8 environment ministers to put the Gulf spill on the agenda for this summer'sG8 summit in Muskoka, Ont.

During question period Monday, Layton said the catastrophe in theGulfwill have an impact on the environment for decades to come and "people all over the world are very concerned" about the environmental risk of similar offshore drilling.

Calling the Gulf oil spill"an environmental catastrophe unlike anything we've seen in quite a long time," Harperheaped criticism onBP the operators of the rig that exploded and burned on April 20, killing 11 workers and triggering the massive leak ofabout 800,000 litresdaily.

"Thebehaviour of the companies in questionis completely unacceptable and would be completely unacceptable in this country," he told the House.

But Laytoncited BP's recent acquisition of three licences in the Beaufort Sea for more than 6,000 square kilometres of drilling rights and said the company was trying to weaken the environmental requirements for drilling in the region.

"BP failed to prevent the worst ecological disaster since the Exxon Valdez, and now they want to havetheir way with our Arctic?" Layton said.

Harper said the National Energy Board doesn't allow for offshore drilling unless the safety of workers and the environment are protected and that won't change.

"That is the bottom line of this government, and we will not tolerate the situation that we see in the Gulf of Mexico," he said.

Oil and gas companies that want to drill in the Arctic must first get regulatory approvals from the National Energy Board. To do that, they must show they will drill relief wells in case of an accident or provide an alternative safety plan.

Oil companies have argued relief wells in the North are not practical, since it would take too long to drill them if there is an accident. But oilindustry critics have said the Gulf spill should raise warning flags in Canada, especially about the need for relief wells.

Layton alsosaid Harper should "show someleadership" andheed the call of Nunavut's land claims organization, Nunavut Tunngavik Inc.,for a marine safety conference to address the issue.