Call it the discipline of power.
In opposition, it’s easy to oppose everything. But prime ministers and premiers, regardless of party affiliation, should work together for the economic good of the country.
For that reason, we’re not going to criticize Liberal Prime Minister Justin Trudeau or Alberta NDP Premier Rachel Notley for apparently coming to their senses, however slowly, about the vital importance of oil and natural gas to Canada’s economy.
On Sunday, Notley met with Trudeau and his cabinet at the federal cabinet retreat in Kananaskis, Alberta.
These things don’t happen by accident. Since Notley had a clear message about the importance of pipelines to Alberta’s and Canada’s economy and Trudeau knew that’s what she’d be lobbying for, inviting her to the Liberal retreat meant Trudeau wanted to highlight her arguments to his cabinet and to Canadians in general.
If indeed the premier and prime minister are flip-flopping on the issue compared to many of their statements while in opposition that expressed skepticism about various pipelines, it’s the right flip-flop to make.
Canada needs to get its land-locked natural resources to international markets through pipelines such as TransCanada Corporation’s Energy East, Enbridge’s Northern Gateway and Kinder Morgan’s Trans Mountain pipeline expansion.
As former prime minister Brian Mulroney said last week, it’s Trudeau’s responsibility to advocate for the environmentally responsible construction of pipelines, which means more than acting as a referee between supporters and opponents.
Alberta oil already sells at a substantial discount because of a lack of pipeline capacity in Canada, hindering our ability to export our oil.
That costs the Canadian economy jobs and the federal and Alberta governments tax revenues.
Compare that to U.S. President Barack Obama. Despite his hypocritical vetoing of the Keystone XL pipeline which would have delivered Alberta oil to U.S. refineries on the Gulf Coast, Obama has boasted that his administration has approved enough new oil and gas pipeline in the U.S. to more than encircle the Earth and that increased pipeline capacity is vital to the economic interests of the United States.
Indeed, it’s astounding and disturbing that in Canada, so many politicians and special interest groups campaign against oil and gas pipelines, which amounts to voluntarily agreeing to slit our own economic throats.
Coming to our senses on pipelines | EDITORIAL | Editorial | Opinion | Toronto Su
In opposition, it’s easy to oppose everything. But prime ministers and premiers, regardless of party affiliation, should work together for the economic good of the country.
For that reason, we’re not going to criticize Liberal Prime Minister Justin Trudeau or Alberta NDP Premier Rachel Notley for apparently coming to their senses, however slowly, about the vital importance of oil and natural gas to Canada’s economy.
On Sunday, Notley met with Trudeau and his cabinet at the federal cabinet retreat in Kananaskis, Alberta.
These things don’t happen by accident. Since Notley had a clear message about the importance of pipelines to Alberta’s and Canada’s economy and Trudeau knew that’s what she’d be lobbying for, inviting her to the Liberal retreat meant Trudeau wanted to highlight her arguments to his cabinet and to Canadians in general.
If indeed the premier and prime minister are flip-flopping on the issue compared to many of their statements while in opposition that expressed skepticism about various pipelines, it’s the right flip-flop to make.
Canada needs to get its land-locked natural resources to international markets through pipelines such as TransCanada Corporation’s Energy East, Enbridge’s Northern Gateway and Kinder Morgan’s Trans Mountain pipeline expansion.
As former prime minister Brian Mulroney said last week, it’s Trudeau’s responsibility to advocate for the environmentally responsible construction of pipelines, which means more than acting as a referee between supporters and opponents.
Alberta oil already sells at a substantial discount because of a lack of pipeline capacity in Canada, hindering our ability to export our oil.
That costs the Canadian economy jobs and the federal and Alberta governments tax revenues.
Compare that to U.S. President Barack Obama. Despite his hypocritical vetoing of the Keystone XL pipeline which would have delivered Alberta oil to U.S. refineries on the Gulf Coast, Obama has boasted that his administration has approved enough new oil and gas pipeline in the U.S. to more than encircle the Earth and that increased pipeline capacity is vital to the economic interests of the United States.
Indeed, it’s astounding and disturbing that in Canada, so many politicians and special interest groups campaign against oil and gas pipelines, which amounts to voluntarily agreeing to slit our own economic throats.
Coming to our senses on pipelines | EDITORIAL | Editorial | Opinion | Toronto Su
