Thomas Mulcair walking a fine cross-country line on Energy East - The Globe and Mail
Sovereignists and "the rest of the country" have different interests. So whose interests are they indifferent with?
When Thomas Mulcair spoke recently to a Quebec-based magazine, he tried to walk a fine line in positioning his party as against – but not completely against – the Energy East pipeline that would run from Alberta through to New Brunswick.
As recently as the end of last year, Mr. Mulcair sounded downright enthusiastic about the “pro-business, common sense” Energy East, with the caveat that the project would first have to go through a rigorous environmental-review process. That has since shifted to saying his party is against the project because the current review process is too weak, but would be willing to consider it if and when there is a better regulatory regime in place.
In recent conversations, Quebec New Democrats have lamented that there is no way for them to match the Bloc’s rhetoric on the subject, because unlike the sovereigntists they can’t appear indifferent to economic interests in the rest of the country. “It’s quite easy for them to say we’re against every pipeline; we can’t say that,” one senior member of Mr. Mulcair’s party said, predicting that “we’ll lose some people’s votes” as a result.
Sovereignists and "the rest of the country" have different interests. So whose interests are they indifferent with?