The failure of ‘Canada’ will become evident by the end of the Energy East review process. ‘Were I a Calgarian, I’d be first perplexed, and then perhaps angry,’
Related.
Via, Shamrock
The failure of ‘Canada’ will become evident by the end of the Energy East review process. ‘Were I a Calgarian, I’d be first perplexed, and then perhaps angry,’
Related.
Via, Shamrock
Why does Justine’s cabinet remind me of the cast of fraggle rock
http://www.torontosun.com/2016/02/10/whitby-oshawa-goes-to-the-polls
Rex: “Why Us? Why, only us? Are there no other pipelines in the world? Are there no other oil economies?”
What do G W Bush, Obama and Trudeau have in common? They consistently support policies that benefit Saudi Arabia over their own countries. Why?
The Alberta provincial NDP is treasonous in this matter in that they have allowed, without a whimper, the federal government to intrude DEEPLY into provincial jurisdiction of resource development. The federal government by demanding the NEB consider UPSTREAM “greenhouse gas emissions” effectively gives the federal government control over provincial resources……and the provincial NDP sits there drooling in the corner with their eyes glazed over. Frankly, I’m surprised that the Legislature in Edmonton hasn’t been overrun.
Albertons must take a strong stand against the Federal and their own Provincial government undermining their interests and deliberately weakening their economy. We have a formula in place for leaving. Starting on that road could scare some sense into these people.
Not yet but Turdeau will speed us on our way.
The ignorance and arrogance of these fools is beyond parody.
What will be happening within 2 years or so,Alberta MLA’s will have armed guards as they meet with their constituents.
Taxpayers will be mobbing and demanding the resignation of their “representative” in many government ridings.
I will be addressing the useless waste of skin who is my MP, as to why he allows the idiocy of Justine to ruin our economy and society.
As I will not be blaming an absent PM, when I have the local in my reach.
If we take a page out of the progressives playbook,then the Liberal Members of Parliament are all individually responsible for Justin’s People and Sunni Ways.
If we believe in Democracy..then our members of parliament are all guilty.
It is worth considering government as a morality play put on at our expense for the benefit of the fools and bandits.
A method of warning them to grow up.
Traditionally bad acting within these plays, resulted in actors being dragged from the stage and beaten by their audience.
The current immorality plays from our actors,both elected and appointed, are incredible works of terrible acting.
These morons do not even know the roles they begged us for the opportunity to play.
Yet just like the French Nobles they will all be shocked when thrown off the stage.
Great idea…however, I doubt those thickheads have enough sense to be scared.
What, do you think the Alberta NDP is any less committed to shutting down the dirty tar sands than the federal Liberals? Notley’s delighted, “stop the tar sands”, never has federal/provincial cooperation been so good, “this was the moment when the rise of the oceans began to slow”…
Rex Murphy’s words are my words. After years of anti-Industry attacks with Gov’t much too willing to accommodate we have now become too anti-competitive to sustain and further develop much of our aging production. The result is Province-wide long term inactivity and shutdown. Alberta is now on its’ way to hell in a straightjacket of our own making. Calgary’s “perplexed and a little angry” mood is now a home roosting chicken that’s growing exponentially by the week.
Angry enough to leave ? That’s really what it comes too.
Step 1 – no more transfer money – it insane to send 10 billion you have to borrow and get back 250 million .
( I would also point out this is a carbon tax – where to hell do they think the money comes from? )
Step 2 – a carbon tax on everything shipped in from the rest of the country as everything that comes here has a carbon component. (We can make them pay it at the provincial border – how can they argue because we are going to save the planet )
Step 3 – a vote on succession if the first two don’t wake them up.
We need to get petitions going stating this.
Or we can go with plan B. Keep calling the Idiots names and enjoy our Royal screwing. And Justin will keep grinning . Sunny ways friends !
Step 1A – provinces collect their own income tax and pension plan contributions. No equalization from AB or BC
Step 2A – the watermelons must add back in “downstream emissions” from having to deploy fighting forces to protect ME oil sources
Justin will pretend he’s for the pipelines, just wants to make sure they’re Kyoto compliant (sure, tough call compared to rail & truck), using paralysis by analysis to blunt negative sentiment and regional outrage. It won’t work for very long though.
If he were foolish enough to dismiss the pipeline out of hand, as Obama did in his quarter, there would be very genuine anger, fuelling here what is already omnipresent in the US primaries. The fuse of discontent would be lit and all previous political rules of engagement would disappear as the status quo bubble bursts with the anti-growth socialist and green rent seekers exposed in their duplicity.
Separation would then be a possibility; it’s not the case right now, but things can and likely will change very quickly.
“We have a formula in place for leaving. Starting on that road could scare some sense into these people”
LindaL, in all respect you don’t achieve anything if your intent is to “Scare”.
You commit to leave, or you stay in Canada and fight….If Alberta & Saskatchewan wanted to become STATES there would be enough benefits for both sides for serious consideration… The North/South corridor has been economically favored for >150 Years.. You just need to have the will.
Let’s get the spin right; its not about removing Alberta from Canada, its about removing Canada from Alberta.
Thank you Rex.
the province and they country are in the position they are in because of excessive, irresponsible, wasteful, stupid governments. to flush the wealth of the province and country on useless social programs and bigger government shows just how my description above is not just rude but true. the extreme wealth that could be allowing the province to coast through the current economic lull has been flushed and billions borrowed on top. there is nothing of substance that has been gained with that wealth. Fools.
This is all part of the plan…..
Here’s a 1 minute clip describing the belief system of Zoolanders puppet master Gerard Butts. In his own words. The same words likely being said in the PMO.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lWXRK4ffEH4
“If Alberta & Saskatchewan wanted to become STATES there would be enough benefits for both sides for serious consideration…”
If you believe that Alberta and Saskatchewan don’t have much influence as provinces in a country of 35 million, where do you think they’d rank as states in a country with 10 times that population?
Oregon has more residents than Alberta and yet is the 27th state by population. Saskatchewan has barely more residents than Rhode Island, the 44th state by population.
And something more: Alberta has 34 seats in a House of Commons of 338 MPs; Saskatchewan has 14. Under the US formula for the House of Representatives, Alberta would have five or six seats, Saskatchewan would have two – in a house of 435 representatives. The two provinces get six senators each in Canada. In the US, they’d get two each.
As states, your political power and influence would be greatly diminished. If you think you’re not being heard in Ottawa, you’re going to have to jump up and down with a bullhorn to be heard in Washington.
And don’t forget, the US nixed Keystone anyway and its politicians are no friendlier to the fossil fuel industry than Canadian ones. Indeed, they are probably less friendly, with much, much more powerful environmental movements.
It is ironic that Rex Murphy is defending Calgary over oil & gas. Rex is from Newfoundland, an economy that is even more dependent on oil & gas and in much bigger trouble. It also suffers from the same syndrome that Alberta does – that somehow the trouble they are in was caused by someone else, least of all their own actions.
There is no way the current low oil prices can be blamed on Saudi Arabia, or even the United States. The culprit is technology. With the recent improvements in fracking and extraction technology the formerly unexploitable tight oil & gas formations are now economic at $30-$40/bbl and they contain an amazingly high number of reserves. This is a game changer.
The reason that oil has dropped to below $30/bbl is due to overproduction caused by a drop in demand. It’s tough to turn off an oil reservoir once you’re into it. Add to that a slowing economy and you get $28 oil. This is a temporary problem.
What is not temporary is the long term presence of tight oil & gas with a production break even of $30-$40. As the world economy recovers Alberta and Newfoundland are in for a nasty surprize. Oil prices will likely not reach $100/bbl for decades to come.
It is currently fashionable to blame Notley, Trudeau, Saudi Arabia even Russia for Alberta’s current woes. Unfortunately it is innovation followed by 40 years of very poor governance by a party that did not have the province’s best interest at heart. It allowed for an unsustainable infrastructure that Notley is aggressively adding to. One that cannot be sustained under these new rules. It will take several years for people to realize that spending $200 million on an airport in Northern Alberta probably wasn’t a great idea. Alberta has averaged up to 30,000 new immigrants per year while benefiting from a lower than average unemployment rate. Those days are over. The people leaving Alberta often return to the Atlantic Provinces, usually Newfoundland. These provinces are in serious trouble. Newfoundland’s economy is 30% oil & gas, most of it high cost off-shore. Why spend billions on off-shore drilling when you can drill shale oil & gas on solid land? Why explore for oil & gas in the ocean when the long term price is being reset to $50-$60/bbl?
For those Calgarians feeling sorry for themselves please click on the link below. 14 of 25 ridings in Calgary voted for full-speed-ahead socialism. The only question now is who comes to their senses first – Alberta or Venezuela. Hopefully not the latter because they have the world’s largest reserves of oil & gas. Imagine what that would do to the price of oil.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/elections/alberta-votes/alberta-election-2015-ndp-wins-14-of-25-calgary-ridings-1.3062584
As a “Calgarian” I’m not angry, I fully expected the pathetic attitudes by much of the rest of Canada towards an industry/ economic downturn.
Losers wallow in the misery of others.
In reality this is a great “economic correction” for Alberta, a chance to streamline it’s businesses and markets while cutting the losers of the corporate and civic teats.
Albertan’s will solidify their Conservative values in coming years. The oilfield structure will again be lean and competitive, many of the deadbeats still collecting welfare in other provinces, and the NDP laying at the bottom of histories dustbin.
So enjoy the restructuring, those with the grit to hang in there will prosper immensely in the future.
Alberta and Saskatchewan people have no influence on the federal government. Our MPs are eunuchs who are looked down on a country red neck hicks.
Atlantic Canada is facing a looming crisis from an aging population. This is going to be worsened by lower oil prices, both less revenue and the return of the formerly Alberta-bound.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/economy/economy-lab/the-demographic-tsunami-will-hit-atlantic-canada-first/article619021/
There is a longer term problem that is almost unreported in the MSM and it has to do with future oil prices. While no one can predict the price of oil there is a looming crisis emerging in places like Alberta, the current high cost producers, as tight oil & gas reserves become fully exploitable.
There is even a greater problem for Canada as the USA contains a bountiful supply of tight oil & gas. Why would they approve a Canada – US pipeline when blocking such a plan only makes their own reserves even more valuable?
If the world economy continues to tank and people start to really suffer, people like Trump will rise and unicorns like baby Turdeau will be stoned (I’m not talking about passing a joint here).
Here in Canad’uh, we have not suffered enough yet…Like Kate says: “We need a famine”
If Trump takes the Crown, it won’t be long before a guy like Kevin O’Leary rises up here too.
We need to suffer more though…When there is no more assistance checks, stimulus and other Guvment bailouts, common sense should follow.
I don’t think a Bernie Sanders would work here because we are already accustomed to socialism and what it does to an economy (Hopefully).
“The only question now is who comes to their senses first – Alberta or Venezuela.”
A false note in an otherwise cogent posting. Comparisons with Venezuela, a thoroughly wrecked country from top to bottom, are dodgy at best.
Whatever the current woes of Alberta – and by extension Canada – we are far, far removed from that failed “Bolivarian” monstrosity.
Those of us that throw BLAME on Trudeau and Notely do so because they do EVERYTHING in their power to make things worse – not better for this Province and by extension the country..
I for one am of this bent. We need to get the oil out. Why are we not moving forward on the proposed route for a twin – either Rail line or pipeline from FORT MACMURRY to VALDEZ. Last time I heard it was totally OK’d by the Alaskan govt & the Native Bands along the route. Lets get this thing going..??
To Hell with Central Canada and to hell with the Morons in BC. Given Valdez is US Territory Trudeau’s ban on tanker traffic will hold no water….
And you had better believe it Rex…people here are more than just angry. They are directly screwing with my life and lives of hundreds of thousands and not just in Alberta.
PS: Time to put a contract out on Gerald Butts too.. he is one scary POS I don’t believe has the right to breathe… His Policies pretty much demand world De-Population…and this Gooph is principal secretary to Trudeau..??
Butts = Justin Trudeau’s brain.
The Rex Murphy column is cathartic in the sense it makes the emotional case explaining why Calgary/Alberta has been an economic lifeboat for out of province workers. Without those high paying blue collar and engineering jobs there’d have been a lot of fellow Canadians unemployed. I suspect those people and their families out east do appreciate the fossil fuel industry. Small inroads but progress again mat anti-Alberta bigotry nonetheless.
I found the second article more interesting and anger-inducing. The oh-so enlightened social justice politicians from central Canada are not really opposed to oil or pipelines, just Western Canadian oil. Those who preach progressive values are perfectly comfortable accepting oil from countries with theocracies and brutal dictatorships – journalists executed, brutalize women, employ morality police, stonings, lashings, few workers rights, minimal environmental standards, support for terrorism. That’s all A-OK because Alberta oil is the one that’s “dirty” and unethical to use.
What a bunch of self-righteous hypocrites. The Western Canada Select is not only cheaper but Western Canada confirms to all Canadian norms, pays equalization through the nose and employs Canadian workers. This helps all of Canada while ME and African oil does nothing except maybe fatten the account of environmental organizations and politicians.
Actually the demand side of oil is slightly increased according to the data I have seen.
Why do they have to become states? Why not just be a small republic. How would the population of Alberta and Sask (or just Alberta on its own). I believe that Alberta on its own is bigger than Iceland. Maybe they could even join Iceland. People need to think outside of the box. The problem is that within Canada, Alberta is not respected and is getting screwed daily.
I did not intend to compare the economies or politics of Venezuela and Alberta although a re-read suggests I may have. Apologies. My intent was to show there are more head-winds to the Alberta economy than just tight oil & gas. Venezuela has the world’s largest oil & gas reserves. At some point the country will start to recover from their destructive politics, possibly saved by the Chinese. Whoever saves that economy, it will be driven by a massive increase in oil & gas production. Imagine what would happen if an organized country gets hold of Venezuela’s oil & gas industry, what that would mean for the future world price of oil and how that would affect Alberta.
Venezuela has oil sands that rival Canada’s with half a trillion barrels recoverable as estimated by the US Geological Survey. Untouched. Almost equivalent to the total conventional reserves of Saudi Arabia and Venezuela combined – the world’s two largest reserves of oil by country. The technology now exists to exploit these deposits as they are not recoverable by surface mining.
Fixing Alberta’s problem will take the cooperation of all provinces. I don’t think it’s possible. I think Alberta’s days of leading Canada’s economy are over. Peak Alberta has passed. The economy of the entire country will suffer as a result.
A final question. What is more likely to happen? Venezuela restructures its oil & gas industry or Canada’s provinces come together to approve a pipeline to either coast in order to move Alberta oil to new markets? My money is on Venezuela.
I say the above comments and will note that the methods/ideology of those that would hogtie/Land lock our # 1 resource do so under the banner of Climate Change and that we must De-Carbon the Planet with Religious fervor no less.
Reality is that the push to stop us is all about the money folks. We have the 3rd largest reserves on the planet. That status makes us the # 1 target of anyone wishing to retain market share. Its called COMPETITION. So given that, what better way than to funnel massive amounts of money to Cdn Environmental NGO’s in a bid to demonize our reserves and ongoing extraction..?? For that is IMO exactly what is happening here.
Harper was well aware of these efforts – yet the Trudeau/Notely gang are 100% on board in their bid to comply. One wonders to what end.?
Seems to me it is to Destroy Canada’s economic viability while filling our country with those who would destroy everything Canadian Culture stands for.
I call that TREASON. And it should be dealt with in a manner in keeping with treasonous activity.
Time for us to Separate or REVOLT.
I’m in ….are you..??
As an aside, Am I the only that finds the way events happened prior to the Provincial Election were strange to say the least??….things just don’t add up..? How is it that a seasoned Federal MP with tons of political experience simply goes rogue with stupid commentary designed to inflame.? How is it that a party that was destined to landslide the up coming election disintegrated mere months away from said election by having its top 8 MP’s and Leader crossing the floor only to be destroyed in that election.? WHO Paid off Who here..?? There is a STINK about it all that just wont go away. I smell $$$$ and lots of it being spread around at that time. (Witness the glaring poop eating grin on Danielle’s face as she lost her PC Nomination bid..) I’d frigging grin too if someone handed me 10 million to walk.
Something to think about people. MONEY TALKS – BS Walks
Over production was 1 million barrels per day in 2015. Then it was 1.5. It is now estimated to be 1.75 and growing and demand is expected to drop slightly in 2016 by about 100,000 bbl/day.
https://www.dynamiclevels.com/en/current-news/india-news/oil-rout-worsens-as-oversupply-fears-exacerbate-160210565424
The link below makes the case for an over-reaction. During the two previous downturns over production was 5+ million bbl/day. We’re not even near that.
http://www.tagoil.com/the-current-oil-oversupply-in-perspective-with-years-past/
I think the difference now is the realization that production increase are much easier to achieve than in the past. This will limit the overall oil price even as oil recovers back to $50-$60/bbl over the next 18-24 months. That price means weak profits for oil sands producers.
The news for gas production isn’t any better for Alberta. There is an enormous amount of capped gas from the Marcellus that can’t be brought to market due to lack of pipeline infrastructure. Once the infrastructure is installed this gas will replace virtually all of Alberta’s gas to Ontario and eastward because the cost structure from the Marcellus is less than half that from Alberta.
Alberta needs a pipeline to the West Coast.
Hey knight…..I fully and whole heartedly agree, my mortgage will be done in August …and I am making good money right now and banking it all just waiting for the right time to strike Alberta for the truly conservative minded people who lived with in their means Alberta is now a huge investment opportunity …huge. Be smart about what you invest in and you could come out very well in the decade ahead one things turn around and as you say knight the parasite lefty locusts move onto greener pastures it will leave albertans more conservative and more competitive and leaner ….a great business environment .
I will bide my time I am 37 now in 10 years maybe 15 things will have bottomed out and start to turn around its the time after that that I plan on making the big gains right now it’s investment prep time watching housing markets , Ect Ect.
The growth of federal governments in both Canada and the US has developed way more than ever imagined. The United States was a limited union of sovereign nations. Canada was a limited union of nations sovereign within the British Empire.
“Why do they have to become states? Why not just be a small republic.”
Ah yes, of course, separatism. Because, as we all know, absolutely nothing improves a bad economic situation better than ramping up political instability!
Separatists – whether of the western or the eastern variety – are the self-centred bastard children of Confederation.
As much as I was bad mouthing AB for their provincial spending on another thread I defend Alberta’s right to chart their own economic future. The West has never had any favors from the East. I have never trusted Murphy’s commentary simply because he is from one of those provinces that benefit most from western exploitation. After all the Maritimes elected the Liebel government didn’t they? Yes, NFLD that province who did not think they should have to pay equalization on their oil production. Give me a break.
At some point Westerners will realize that there is no economic common cause in Canada as it is currently structured. Easterners are very bust ensuring that western interests will never again threaten their rule. Carbon taxes will be brought in and the only question will be whether westerners will sit back and take it. If they are not willing I suggest another Reform movement will have to take power in the provincial governments in the West and those governments will have to act in a united fight against eastern interests. I voted against Reform moving east and stand by that.
The western conservative movement wasted the last 20 years trying to establish a national presence. What a waste.
“The West has never had any favors from the East.”
Besides carving Alberta and Saskatchewan out of the Northwest Territories and creating them as provinces in the first place of course. Oh yeah, there was the railway out to BC too. And the army sent to put down the Riel Rebellion and restore order. Oh, and not only the creation of the province of Manitoba but also its enlargement with land ceded from the District of Keewatin. Finally, let’s not forget the Dominion government immigration policy that opened up the West and helped to populate it.
But yes, apart from all that, the West has never had any favours from the East.
“Fixing Alberta’s problem will take the cooperation of all provinces. I don’t think it’s possible. I think Alberta’s days of leading Canada’s economy are over. Peak Alberta has passed. The economy of the entire country will suffer as a result.”
I tend to agree with you there in some ways.
Sadly, we don’t seem to be driven by the same “a mari usque ad mare” perspective the way we once were. Certainly the new government in Ottawa strikes me as more concerned about transgender policies than transcontinental ones.
Separation is very much like a loaded gun.
Before you threaten to use it, you had better have prepared yourself to use it,considered the consequences and alternatives.
Once the threat is made, you are committed.
When western separation becomes a political force, separation will be inevitable.
The empty threats of Quebec, have conditioned Eastern Canadians to shrug off separation as idle talk.
The problem here is the moral ethical divide between voters east and west.
East has rewarded blatant lying and open theft from their overlords for decades,conclusion they like it.
West threw out their Progressive CINO’s when their actions made their true nature obvious.
The NDP are a temporary aberration, dangerous but irrelevant .
Western voters dislike lying,cheating bandits.
However in politics, no one in their right mind wants to play.
Are you willing to abandon your own interests,pleasures and future plans to engage in endless jaw,jaw with mostly self absorbed useless parasites?
Are you ready for the circus?
The freak show that is our political scene, where “all politicians are crooks” is the first tool of the corrupt and their presstitute accomplices, the very first “rational” when a progressive is exposed for the hypocritical power seeker they be.
Look at the rabid, blind hatred whipped up and spewed at Harper,Hudat and any reform party MP you care to think of…
This is your reward for trying to restrict the theft our kleptocrats live by.
Small wonder individualists and productive people prefer to wait for the collapse and then shoot the bandits.
The coming collapse of civil society appears to be considered the lesser harm by honest citizens.
The last 10 years have certainly convinced me, incremental reform is impossible.
The corruption of our bureaus is institutional, self interest is their only definition of public interest.
There is no Taxpayers Money, it is all Government Funds.
Theft is Government,Government is Theft.
Reform is not even plausible,inverse decimation might(firing 9 out of every 10 govt employees).
But no politician has the guts to rock the trough so savagely.
Only revolt will change a kleptocracy, take a personal fiscal diet, starve the beast.
So remember; Do not steal.Your government hates competition.
Paul in Calgary >
You got it Paul!
Now that’s the true “Calgary Spirit” that so many in the rest of the country don’t get.
PS: It’s unlikely you’ll need to wait 10 or 15 years, unless of course they perfect a free Anti-matter energy source or something akin in the next few years.
Hard to comment further on that cutting analysis JJ. As a westerner I have a pretty good grasp on our history. Any suggestion that the West has been a beneficiary is to much a joke to argue further.
“….I think Alberta’s days of leading Canada’s economy are over. Peak Alberta has passed”.
As an Albertan I could only wish that were true!
Maybe stop the flood of deadbeats beating down our province and minding our business for us – bye bye NDP, enjoy harassing someone else.
Plus it’s nice to see the roads, restaurants, and campgrounds open without reservations for a change. Oh and less chronic gag reflexing when driving though certain communities that will eventually melt away.
I could go on, but I’ll go enjoy this less crowded sunny Alberta day instead.
My friend. You have absolutely no grasp of western history or the politics that created it. Please stop before you hurt yourself.