McGuinty dismisses Alberta premier call to defend oilsands development

[mentalfloss]

McGuinty dismisses Alberta premier call to defend oilsands development

TORONTO - Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty is rejecting calls from his Alberta counterpart to do more to publicly defend the oilsands.

Alberta Premier Alison Redford wants the premiers of Ontario and Quebec to speak out in favour of the oilsands, saying it's not enough for her to talk about the importance of the resource.

A study by the Calgary-based Canadian Energy Research Institute says Ontario enjoys the lion's share of oilsands benefits outside Alberta.

However, McGuinty says any benefits to Ontario were more than offset by the soaring loonie, which he calls a petro-dollar.

He says the high dollar, up from 67 cents in 2003 to around parity with the U.S. greenback today, has "knocked the wind" out of Ontario's manufacturing and export sectors.

McGuinty says given a choice between a rapidly growing oil and gas sector in the West or a lower dollar, he'd take the lower dollar.

McGuinty dismisses Alberta premier call to defend oilsands development | CanadianBusiness.com

 

[Machjo]

He's right.

 

[damngrumpy]

McGinty is right we need a lower dollar not just to ship to the USA but around the world
Exports and imports are paid in US dollars the international currency. Even food products
are shipped in American funds.
As for the oil sand they have a number of problems and most of it is a combination of
attitude and public relations. Defend something leads to being in someones face or giving
the appearance that you are. What Alberta needs to do is take a step back, be a little more
humble and state they are prepared to do some serious studies to measure the impact
of what they are doing. That statement alone would give them nine months to a year to
regroup and not have to defend anything.
If they did this right they could come up with some facts that separate fact from fiction first
of all. If there are some serious setbacks admit them and promise to overcome the problems.
If there are none that is fine too/
The problem is they are using public relations like slick snake oil salesmen. Remember there
is a group that no matter how many facts you come up with they believe that chem trails from
jet aircraft are controlling our brain or some such thing. If they come up with reasonable facts
and aim the message at the main stream they will have some measured success. At present
all I hear is defiance and the world can go to hell we will do what we want. I don't think that is
the message they want to send but that is what we are hearing.
The issue is not to defend itself, as an industry, its to explain itself and what it is doing. They
must provide assurance what they are doing is safe, and in harmony with society and its
responsibility to the nation. If they took that route they would gain enough support that they
wouldn't have to defend anything. There are all kinds of industries out there that have public
support and oil could be one of them. Unfortunately this is more about government and industry
having behavioural problems rather than a problem with the industry itself.

 

[Goober]

McGinty is right we need a lower dollar not just to ship to the USA but around the world
Exports and imports are paid in US dollars the international currency. Even food products
are shipped in American funds.
As for the oil sand they have a number of problems and most of it is a combination of
attitude and public relations. Defend something leads to being in someones face or giving
the appearance that you are. What Alberta needs to do is take a step back, be a little more
humble and state they are prepared to do some serious studies to measure the impact
of what they are doing. That statement alone would give them nine months to a year to
regroup and not have to defend anything.
If they did this right they could come up with some facts that separate fact from fiction first
of all. If there are some serious setbacks admit them and promise to overcome the problems.
If there are none that is fine too/
The problem is they are using public relations like slick snake oil salesmen. Remember there
is a group that no matter how many facts you come up with they believe that chem trails from
jet aircraft are controlling our brain or some such thing. If they come up with reasonable facts
and aim the message at the main stream they will have some measured success. At present
all I hear is defiance and the world can go to hell we will do what we want. I don't think that is
the message they want to send but that is what we are hearing.
The issue is not to defend itself, as an industry, its to explain itself and what it is doing. They
must provide assurance what they are doing is safe, and in harmony with society and its
responsibility to the nation. If they took that route they would gain enough support that they
wouldn't have to defend anything. There are all kinds of industries out there that have public
support and oil could be one of them. Unfortunately this is more about government and industry
having behavioural problems rather than a problem with the industry itself.

Natural resources and a good economy have made the dollar what it is - Now premier dada had nothing to do with losing Jobs in Ontario - approx 70 cents of every dollar invested in the Oil Sands ends up in Ont - Que.

 

[Machjo]

Now if the Canadian dollar was inflated owing to the export of intellectual produts and services, then it might be worthwhile, but if it's inflated only owing to the export of material resources, that's an artificial economy since once we run out of that resources, what's left?

Now I'm not saying don't export material resources, but merely that we ought to sell crown resources at a high price to reflect its true value.

 

[captain morgan]

The oil sands had nothing to do with why companies like CAT moving 500 jobs from Ontario.

McGuinty has fostered an environment that is not competitive in the North American and global markets... End of story

 

[Machjo]

Sure it would mean higher gas prices at the pump, but it would also mean more value-added jobs too to compensate.

We might all be poorer, but there would be more jobs owing to our exports too. But if we consider the preservation of our resources, we would in reality be richer in the long run.

The oil sands had nothing to do with why companies like CAT moving 500 jobs from Ontario.

McGuinty has fostered an environment that is not competitive in the North American and global markets... End of story

Resource exports don't help though.

 

[mentalfloss]

It's true that the dutch disease is taking its hold, but Ontario will have to adapt if Canada continues this one-track path into resource extraction.

 

[captain morgan]

What Alberta needs to do is take a step back, be a little more
humble and state they are prepared to do some serious studies to measure the impact
of what they are doing. That statement alone would give them nine months to a year to
regroup and not have to defend anything.

Correction.

What Alberta needs to do is not give a flying f*ck about what other people/groups think.

 

[Machjo]

We we approached resource extraction smartly, we would consider people as a resource too and thus invest more in education so as to extract the most intellectual value out of our workerrs as we can, just as we do petroleum.

 

[Goober]

It's true that the dutch disease is taking its hold, but Ontario will have to adapt if Canada continues this one-track path into resource extraction.

And the other path is?????

 

[captain morgan]

Resource exports don't help though.

So, considering that we can't compete from a manufacturing and services perspective, the solution is to halt all exports so we really tank the economy fully?

How about this... McGuinty get off his ass and create an environment that promotes the refining of bitumen in his province and real the benefits?

Is that too complicated?

And the other path is?????

To actually compete on a global scale... But we know that is out of the question

 

[mentalfloss]

And the other path is?????

A balanced system so that oil extraction jobs aren't sucking up people who could be working in the manufacturing sector.

Ontario's going through a rough patch right now as it tries to evolve its workforce to deal with this changing economic landscape which goes from industrial development to natural resources. The problem is that the feds need to make sure that the hammer doesn't swing too far in one direction, too quickly.

We should have a gradual incline in natural resources so that we still have a manufacturing sector.

Let's also keep in mind that renewable tech would benefit us greatly if we can have a good export business.

 

[Machjo]

Correction.

What Alberta needs to do is not give a flying f*ck about what other people/groups think.

Crown resources are a provincial responsibility whether we agree to it or not, so Alberta can sell it all it wants; so if Ontario were smart, recognizing that it won't change Alberta's mind, it ought to focus not only on exporting abroad, but also to Alberta. This means investing in education so as to attract more high-tech industries.

 

[wulfie68]

Well, next time Squinty goes begging for more help from the provinces and the Feds, I hope Redfield reminds him of this. The adverserial approach to inter-provincial relations didn't originate West of Ontario...(we're as good at tit-for-tat as anyone else though )

 

[Durry]

Ontario Blames the Oil Sands for their Incompetance

McGuinty can't seem to understand why Ontario manufactuing cannot compete in the market place so he is blaming the raise in the dollar which he feels is caused by the Oil Sands..
Somebody ought to clue this silly dumb bastard in on the facts of business!!

AM 770: News. Talk. Sports. - Local News

 

[B00Mer]

Re: Ontario Blames the Oil Sands for their Incompetance

Loonie no longer a petro-dollar, report says - The Globe and Mail

Not Alberta's fault..

 

[DurkaDurka]

Re: Ontario Blames the Oil Sands for their Incompetance

Well, with the high dollar it does cost more to export but to blame it on Alberta is kinda ridiculous.

 

[B00Mer]

Re: Ontario Blames the Oil Sands for their Incompetance

Well, with the high dollar it does cost more to export but to blame it on Alberta is kinda ridiculous.

Would it not be the fault of the USA, because of the crummy economy south of the border has driven the US dollar down.. not our dollar up?

 

[DurkaDurka]

Re: Ontario Blames the Oil Sands for their Incompetance

Would it not be the fault of the USA, because of the crummy economy south of the border has driven the US dollar down.. not our dollar up?

I wasn't blaming it on anyone, we lose our competitive advantage when the dollar is high, such is life, all the more incentive to go the Chinese route for quality goods.