Playing political games
By Letter to the Editor on February 4, 2021.
Editor:
First on the agenda of America’s new president were insulting and hurting a long-time friend Ð Canada.
Because he was vice-president for Obama, he apparently wants to restore the legacy of that era that was severely damaged by Trump. So, back comes the climate change philosophy, including throwing out “dirty” Canadian oil.
However, behind Mr. Clean’s political posturing, a little dirty secret is still running its course Ð America receives oil from Canada via other pipelines.
The NDP government of British Columbia practices the same convenient inconsistency. They refuse the building of the second pipeline from Alberta, but lavishly use the oil products running through the existing pipeline, and those coming by railroad. They harm Canada’s energy sector and blocks massive income from abroad.
Quebec is the third culprit in this type of hypocritical posturing. They do not want Alberta’s “dirty” oil but eagerly take money generated by that oil. They go even further by importing oil from hostile Arabian countries, making valuable funds leave Canada, which they could have invested in our own economy. Is that Canada-friendly?
Refusing oil by pipeline but accepting it by ships and trains, is plain stupidity. The chances for spills on long railroads and long sea routes are far greater than spills by pipelines. On top of that: the cost of transporting oil from point A to B is much higher by train and ship.
There is a fourth culprit in these political games people play: our own prime minister. The way he handled the pipeline crises, and associated demonstrations, did not show clear vision and firm resolve about Canada’s vital energy sector. In addition, he slammed an inflationary carbon tax on this part of the economy, a policy that is not convincing people to buy smaller cars.
When fuel gets more expensive, everything transported by that fuel becomes more expensive, too. Carbon tax is a triple whammy: higher prices for fuel and goods also increase the sales tax we pay. The rebates do not match these unnecessary expenses.
(Current low fuel prices are caused by decreased travelling during the pandemic, not by carbon tax).
Jacob Van Zyl
Lethbridge
-1
Since money talks, it might be worth paying attention to what the big $multibillion players, i.e.Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, Warren Buffet, the Rockefellers….are not doing, and that is, not investing in the fossil fuel sector, and definitely not coal. One main sector where they are, is biotechnology. They know how to follow a money trail and they are well worth watching. Another huge area is renewable technology. Even the Saudi Arabians, the controllers of global oil prices, know that.
Perhaps we doggedly hang on to fossil fuels at our peril, despite knowing for years, that what is happening now, would happen.
That is why they are pulling favours of the government to protect their investments. Total market, no free market or free trade. This is also occurring on the securities trade , with short sells and other market manipulation devises. What I have noticed myself, usually on about the 27 of the month there is a dip in values, because the devidends are being released; usually to be invested. The about the 1 or2 of the month stocks normalize and then increase.
Even the oil and gas sector itself though, is moving on. TC Energy for example, knew before Jason Kenney that KXL was toast. They are investing heavily into solar and wind power, and, they own more than 50% of Bruce Power. They, also, know how to follow a money trail.
Typically, the writer brings up some valid points and then he cannot resist the “hate Trudeau” factor.
Trudeau bought a pipeline for God’s sake and it is not his fault that the new administration cancelled KXL.
Perhaps the writer does not understand climate change and the reasons behind the carbon tax. Many economists believe this is the fairest way to help reduce emissions and has been accepted by some in the petroleum industry. Vital energy in the form of oil will peter out in the next decade , the world is moving on toward alternative supplies . Won’t happen overnight and cannot happen just yet for obvious reasons but it WILL happen.
Alberta does not have a sales tax BTW but perhaps it is time we did.
Great comments guys too bad so many of our fellow seniors aren’t that smart. A friend used to say “All mouth and no brains’. I think he was right.
A yes the climate HOAX, a manipulation that cannot be proven but allows for increased taxations for greed governments that cannot live within its means.
Totally wrong. Please read the science and not “facts” derived from QAnon and other magnificent sources.
It was not science but a consensus of opinions. secondly the worlds climate has been changing for billions of years and man for his existence on earth for 1 second of time has the temerity to say he can control it.
You have to be sick to support or defend Trudeau. He ie a useless silver spoon kid. His vaccine roll out is nothing short of ludicrous.
Want to bet Jacob is a senior? The oilmen in my world get a little sick and tired of these ignorant comments from seniors who instead of looking at the facts and doing some research find it smart to believe the lies these Reformers feed them.
How does he explain the fact that oil executives were happy with how Notley and Trudeau were willing to work with them to try to do something about it? For years they have been telling us that something had to be done about our pollution problem and if we didn’t it was going to destroy our oil industry . Guess what we are there and what do these Reformers do? They tell the world that they don’t give a damn about Global Warming or the air pollution Alberta is creating. Many of us think they have killed our industry and we don’t blame Biden he is only doing what’s best for his people.
Maybe Jacob should start by googling this:
“The Card Canada Never Used to get the Keystone XL pipeline Approved”.
What a surprise he blames Reformer Harper for creating the problem.
You can’t pretend that Global Warming isn’t a problem when the world knows it is.