For the first time in many years, the federal government is stoking Western alienation as it proves unable to find its way in promoting resource development and access to export markets for Canadian energy, while trying to balance environmental considerations. The prime minister calls the dispute between Alberta and British Columbia — over B.C.’s attempt to ban shipments carrying Alberta’s oil from the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion claiming a fear of oil spills — a “disagreement between provinces.” That ignores the constitutional role the federal government has in interprovincial transportation and trade. Alberta’s Premier Rachel Notley is right: This is as much a fight between B.C. and the federal government as it is between Alberta and B.C.
In fairness, the federal Liberals have said they still support the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion and vow to see it built. It’s a promise that won’t help the Liberals garner many votes in Vancouver, but perhaps the Trudeau government is quietly hoping the pipeline’s owner, Kinder Morgan, gives up in frustration, for “business reasons,” as other resource project proponents have done recently after enduring endless regulatory and political setbacks.
[…]
The parts of Western Canada that rely on energy — Alberta, Saskatchewan and B.C.’s interior — are beginning to relive the consequences of Pierre Trudeau’s disastrous National Energy Program of 1980-85. The NEP, which hit the West just as commodity prices were falling, led to one of the largest income transfers in history, from the West to Central and Eastern Canada. Western energy producers were forced to pay an export tax to fund subsidies to make life cheaper for energy-guzzling consumers to the east. This time, the income isn’t being transferred from the West to Eastern Canada. It’s being transferred from Canada to the United States.
Related: Left vs Left vs Left
Way back when, PET was challenged to “hustle wheat”. A reference to grain shipping issues ignored by a jet setting PM, in the headlines for dating the likes of Barbra Streisand et al.
Time for Junior to “hustle oil”…. but don’t hold your breath. His bong is still smoking….
Love all the “Western Canada” noise.
However – notwithstanding the Federal Government’s pusillanimity on this issue (perhaps it’s out of concern for “peoplekind”?) – the two principal culprits in this tiff are Alberta and BC which, last time I checked, were in Western Canada.
So much for all the “Western Canada” solidarity then.
(Full disclosure for what it’s worth: I find myself completely on Alberta’s side in this dispute.)
We in the WEST HAVE 2 OPTIONS ! FORM A NEW COUNTRY OR BUILD A NEW OIL REFINERY IN SASKATCHEWAN! THE GROUPS using their political interference will stop all pipelines! This new refinery will have all the raw material close and we can build our own pipeline south providing a great product at a great price to the Northern States!!! And when the rest of Canada needs oil we’ll tell them, ” FORGET ABOUT IT!!!!!”
Horgan isn’t going to increase tensions any more than his coalition already has. That would be construed as throwing gasoline on this fire. He hopes that the PM will save his bacon, by imposing a settlement, while stating a preference for “the courts” to decide all this. Yeah, let’s delay a decision a few more years in the hopes it all goes away. Then he gets punted next election. The BC NDP have a history & it isn’t pretty in that province. Christy Clark was just a tamed down version of slimey BC politics.
Horgan is lucky that Kenny isn’t premier of AB & Notley is. Cut from the same cloth, while playing good cop/bad cop on pipelines. Sure like to be a fly on the wall in the PMO, listening to Butts’ (another anti oil/west douchebag) advice to T2 on this. George Soros is pulling his chain, along with all the US “charitable” Foundations that T2 shut the CRA down on any further tax investigation issues.
Notley will have to keep applying the screws to BC & really go out on a limb for the PMO to get involved more than they aren’t already.
Not quite accurate. The battle is between Alberta aligned with most of BC versus the crackheads and airheads in the lower Mainland.
“British Columbia thinks it can kill pipelines because it knows Ottawa doesn’t care: senator” http://business.financialpost.com/opinion/british-columbia-thinks-it-can-kill-pipelines-because-it-knows-ottawa-doesnt-care
Make sure you read down to the Butts quotes.
“This ‘dispute” is all manufactured for the Media and the public to chew on. Its all a game of “lets pretend”. Meathead, Nutley, Whoregun, Weasel, none of these pricks want Kinder Morgan pipeline expansion, none of them! As long as Princess Meathead remains as PM no new pipelines will be built. There is no reason for this cult of a country to remain together, it is a basket case, just as intended. The Dominion is gone, long gone. Time for Trudopia to end as well, the sooner the better.”
Well said and so true. The current huffing and puffing exercise is all for show for the rubes. None of those Marxists want any pipelines anywhere and they have all said so at various times.
Read the Financial Post article that John Chittick linked to. PM Butts will not allow a pipeline built and his pantywaist dummy will dither and dither until Trans Mountain gives up like the other pipeline outfits. The major oil players know this and that is why they have moved their billions of investment elsewhere.
The wine is just a distraction to occupy the gullible.
Canada, how long dead you are.
The West ,being those delusional Canadians who oppose big government theft, need to manup,rather that People hood down.
Trade ,apparently, is only acceptable with our southern neighbours.
They being happy to buy our raw resources at a discount.
Funny how so much of the money that funds Gang Green Canada, comes from the USA.
Just a coincidence..of course.
To move our resources in bulk to world markets, requires a seaport.
Churchill Manitoba is currently stranded, abandoned by our fool politicians.
Saskatchewan has nuclear ores galore.
Would the cost of a pipeline to Churchill and a fleet of Nuclear icebreaking bulk tankers, be economical?
Given we lose$30/barrel due to our stranded position and the other market is currently saturated by USA oil, can Canada compete ?
For sure if an icebreaking fleet is economically sensible,it would also go a long way toward reducing the grain shipping bottlenecks western farmers face every year.