The word on the street is the Harper government has informed Washington that, if it doesn't approve the Keystone XL Pipeline, there will be a catastrophic rupture in Canadian-American relations -- "the biggest deep freeze in Canada-U.S. relations ever."
Now, there's a threat which must have caused panic in Washington. Iran is going nuclear, North Korea is going ballistic, and Canada is going -- blue. If the U.S. doesn't want our sticky oil, what are we to do? It's looking more and more like the pipeline to Kitimat is a non-starter. Perhaps the Harperites will have to settle for a pipeline to New Brunswick. Lawrence Martin writes:
The days of Canada having the handy U.S. market to take care of almost all of its energy exports are over. As observers like our former American ambassador Frank McKenna have been pointing out for a long time, market diversification is now the paramount priority. Though a Keystone rejection certainly would be unwelcome, it would help stir a move in that direction. It would hasten pressures to build the infrastructure to transport energy resources to our east coast.
Wouldn't that be the National Energy Program with a new name? Call it Canada's Economic Action Plan. Consider the irony. It's of Greek proportions. A prime minister is pathologicically committed to destroying the Liberal Party of Canada. In his manical quest, he manages to re-institute the very program which the man he reviled first conceived. And, then, the son of that man is elected leader of the Liberal Party.
What a legacy! It would be the Second Coming -- times two.
4 comments:
Overheard in Washington, "What! Where is Canada, again."
Why do Canadians not understand that the United States makes decisions for the benefit of the United States. They do not let the tail wage the dog. They are pit bulls in negotiations
It is always a good day when one sees Harper not having a good day.
A few postings ago you wrote about some of the nasty people Harper has had around him. Perhaps you should rewrite it and add Dr Porter and Tom Flanagan to the list. Flanagan, the father of the modern Conservative Party and Harper's great teacher couldn't be pushed off the cliff fast enough. Even his university told him not to come home you are no longer welcomed here. It warms my heart.
My hunch is that, in the end, the Harperites -- like Dr. Porter and Dr. Flanagan -- will self destruct.
It's in their DNA, Philip.
Of course, this wouldn't be an issue, except for the fact of the gross incompetence of the Alberta department of energy, resources, oil and gas exports or whatever they call it.
Seems that they were falling over themselves selling out those permits for creating Black Gold out of tar and sand, and got too busy trying to line up post-government careers to actually do their job and ensure that there was adequate infrastructure to support the new level of production.
Net result, a $40 per barrel subsidy to the US economy, as well as the corresponding loss in tax revenue. Way to go brain childs. Nice to see you were on the ball again.
It's the equivalent of the California and Yukon gold rushes, Anon.
Those who refuse to learn from history are doomed to repeat it.
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