The New Liberal Leader Must Oppose Northern Gateway
At least if they want me to vote for them. But also because its a solid political decision in advance of 2015. The number of pro-pipeline votes to be had in B.C. is small and getting smaller. Alberta is and will remain a wasteland regardless. And the NDP's anti stance doesn't seem to have hurt them in Saskatoba, according to most recent polls. Furthermore, it is of a piece with the LPoC's casting itself as the party of national unity. The Quebec separatist movement right now is a side-show. The real threat to a unified Canada comes when a federal government beholden to the Calgary oil-patch tries to force Northern Gateway on British Columbia. D'you know that B.C. is one of the most economically diversified of all the provinces? They extract stuff from the ground, sure, but they also paint and dance and pick stocks and make computers and take little kids from Japan out in the ocean in inflatables where they can have their first experience of swimming with a dolphin. They also have a plethora of port cities to send their exports overseas from and take in shirts made in Romania and all that crap China sells us. If any province could afford to give Confederation the middle finger and get away clean its BC. And I will just note that the rhetoric in the B.C. media has only just heated up to where I was three months ago. They're now freely invoking the NEP, but casting Alberta and Harper in the role of Trudeau, and the whole "over my dead body" meme has spread from Rafe Mair to the general population. So when I say that, if Northern Gateway is approved next year, there will be serious talk of B.C. getting the hell out, you would do well to believe me. Northern Gateway could destroy this country and, as Liberals, we should all be against this result just on general principles.
It's great to see someone who grasps the measure of British Columbians' opposition to this bitumen trafficking. Yes, we can go it alone and more of us are coming to realize that as the Northern Gateway proceeds. We have very friendly governments (and citizens) in Washington and Oregon who could take up a good bit of what we might lose by leaving.
ReplyDeleteFor most of my life I've been solidly Canadian first but the lack of support BC has found from the rest of Canada is sapping my loyalty to the country. A lot of us really feel our province is under attack and no one else in the damned country is willing to come to our aid.
I read, there are two more provinces, that contemplate leaving Harper's Canada. Quebec may have started the ball rolling.
ReplyDeleteHarper's political record is in the sewer. Harper's robo-call election cheat, and using dirty tactics yet again, to cheat his way out of it. Harper has been a litany of, lies, deceit, corruption, thefts, dirty tactics, dirty politics and cheating to win.
Harper is permitting Communist China, actual permission to be on our Canadian soil. Other country's are escorting Communist China, off their soil.
China is bringing their own people to take Canadian tar sands jobs, allowed by Harper, to bring swarms over, to build the Enbridge pipeline. To refine the tar, in their own country.
Now Harper is stupid enough, to sell Nexen to Communist China too?? No Canadian citizen, has to obey a traitor committing treason.
Communist China is showing their aggression, around the globe. Even hacking into other country's secret files. Selling infected electronic components to other country's. U.S missiles and other weapons, had infected components in them, purchased from Communist China.
Shots were fired in the Philippines, over China's aggression. Russia had to take steps, to protect their territory, on their China border. Japan escorted China, off one of their islands. Communist China is spending like mad, on their military.
And, Harper has permitted that horrible country, right on our Canadian soil. That is High Treason. Chinese who ask for work, in an apple factory. They are forced to sign a statement, they will not commit suicide. Child laborers in China, only earn pennies a day. Wonderful human rights Communist China has. Harper is all for that.
BC will not be used as a conduit, for Communist China to pick up the dirty Bitumen. Harper, Enbridge, and Alberta, can all go to hell.
So the Liberals should choose their policies according to polls and not what they believe is in the best interest in the country?
ReplyDeleteJordan, as a Newf, you see this as a matter of "the best interest of the country." British Columbians see it differently - as a threat of catastrophic, irreparable harm to our coast and our way of life. What you think, to us, is pure bollocks.
ReplyDeleteJordan, we live in a democracy, which sometimes means that pesky citizens get in the way of economic development projects they oppose. Sometimes this even impacts people in other provinces.
ReplyDeleteDo you think over-riding the will of the people always equates to what the best interests of the country are or just in this instance? Canadians all across the country, when polled, supported the Government of British Columbia's five conditions to be met for pipeline approval at a rate of over 70%. In BC is was 85%.
I'm quite comfortable with the idea that in a democracy, government derives its legitimacy from the will of the governed. If the Conservative Party of Canada wishes to call a national election campaign on the Enbridge issue to gain a mandate to force the project through against BCs wishes, then I encourage them to do so.
Jordan, I'm an Albertan. I do not believe Albertans have a right to poison BC just to make some money. I don't even think the government of Alberta has a right to poison northern Alberta to make greedy oil corporations richer.
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