In a December 18 rebuttal to the December 14 "Medicine Hat News" critical opinion piece, that said that the CEC was not "subject to freedom-of-information searches" and that the Centre "could be used to stifle legitimate dissent and commentary on the oil and gas industry", Olson, who is a former "Calgary Herald" journalist, said that "oversight" of the CEC is "rigorous" and that the centre is subject to the Fiscal Planning and Transparency Act, the Whistle Blowers Act and audits by Alberta's auditor general.