Home »
Partisan piffle and hypocrisy
e-KNOW Editorial
By Ian Cobb
What a mess.
But you could see it coming.
Kinder Morgan Canada Limited (KML) has announced that it is suspending all non-essential activities and related spending on the Trans Mountain Pipeline Expansion Project.
“KML also announced that under current circumstances, specifically including the continued actions in opposition to the project by the Province of British Columbia, it will not commit additional shareholder resources to the project,” it stated in an April 8 media release.
The announcement has renewed the ‘fury’ brewing between B.C. and Alberta as our oil and gas wealthy neighbours want to pump their product across the province. Once in favour of said project when the BC Liberals were in power, the province has flip-flopped and placed Alberta in a sticky wicket.
Adding weirdness to the entire spectacle is the support of a Liberal Trudeau Prime Minister for Alberta. Unlike his Alberta plundering papa, Justin Trudeau says he has Alberta’s back and it’s not if but when the pipeline is built.
And here we sit, in limbo, while economic rot looms.
“Trans Mountain has spent C$1.1 billion (approximately half of which has been spent since the KML IPO) and made unprecedented efforts to develop the project since its initial filing with the National Energy Board in 2013. As a result of extensive engagement, a comprehensive regulatory process and detailed engineering and design, the project has changed in several, substantive ways during the intervening five years, including: thicker wall pipe in environmentally sensitive areas such as watercourses and aquifers; avoidance of several fish bearing streams; changes to the detailed route of the pipeline in consideration of community needs and concerns and environmental impacts; Burnaby tunnel construction, to avoid neighbourhoods and minimize impacts; changes to Burnaby Terminal tank design in response to risk assessments; and, enhancements to marine safety that will benefit all marine users,” KML shared in its news release.
“In addition, in an unprecedented negotiated commitment, Trans Mountain agreed to provide financial benefits from the project, if completed, to British Columbia for a newly-formed BC Clean Communities Program to be accessed by communities for local projects that protect, sustain and restore B.C.’s natural and coastal environments,” it added.
Alas, B.C.’s NDP Premier, his back laden heavily by a couple Green Party MLAs who possess severe minority power unparalleled in past B.C. governments, is sticking to his guns and is willing to drag the province into a trade war with Alberta – as threatened by its NDP Premier Rachel Notley, who is willing to ‘shut off the tap’ of petroleum resources to B.C.
This has created a frenzy of concern in the Lower Mainland, the locale responsible for the creation of the NDP/Green hybrid government that is once again methodically chipping away at the base foundation of our provincial economy with massive swing policies that don’t repair or improve anything. They merely butter up some party supporters who in turn butter up the party.
This is cake and eat it too in every way shape and form.
It is also vastly illuminating as to how little power Premier John Horgan has and how much power Green Party Leader Andrew Weaver has.
One would think that two neighbouring NDP premiers would be in political heaven, beaming with grins from ear to ear, remembering the recent years of being forever opposition to the Alberta Conservatives and BC Liberals.
One would think, when contemplating the endlessly damaging practices of partisan politics that occur in Alberta and B.C., that unity would be in place now as the NDP has hold of both provinces.
One would think Horgan and Notley would come to common ground based on the principles and goals of ‘the party’ and, for the good of their provinces and their economies, find a quick solution – be it yay or nay, but in unison.
Instead, it is like watching Glen Clark and Ralph Klein squaring off.
And why might that be?
We see you over there giggling, Andrew Weaver, and your two MLAs, too.
You are getting your way. As that is the goal in politics, partisan or not, I guess you are the winner in all this and your unwilling puppet Horgan and Notley the Confused are the losers, as are the people of both provinces.
While the power base of the NDP and Green Party dwells mostly in the southwestern corner of the province, those folks don’t understand, many not caring to, the relationship that we eastern British Columbians have with Alberta and Albertans.
This spat should not have occurred.
We taxpayers and voters slap you lot into power with OUR SUPPORT in order to do what is right for our province – covering the entire sphere of influences and needs – and to use the brains we once believed you possessed to get the job done with as little damage done as possible.
And what have you done?
Sorry to be crude but you’ve completely pooped the bed.
You’ve shown that your partisanship is all about convenience (Jumbo Glacier Resort is another example that sticks to the NDP like wet dog shake) and like all provincial and federal governments before you, it is clear you only care about staying in power and ride that over and beyond simply doing the right thing for your province.
One could say Premier Notley is doing that. The reality that is oil and gas in Alberta overrules partisan feelings toward the industry; hence she is trying to represent all her constituents as opposed to only those who voted for her. She’s in a tough spot.
You cannot say the same Premier Horgan and we all know the reason for it.
What is your backup plan for B.C. now that you’ve turned away massive sums of investment capital and jobs, and got yourself into an inner-party piddling match to boot?
Good grief, man.
– Ian Cobb is owner/editor of e-KNOW
