Coderre’s pipeline folly

At first glance, Montreal’s declaration of opposition to the Energy East pipeline project is nothing more than the blinkered view of a group of local politicians who can’t see beyond their own borders. But in a very real sense, it represents a crisis for Canada, for Liberalism and for the new “sunny ways” government of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

Montreal Mayor Denis Coderre was speaking for 82 regional municipalities when he said the Montreal Metropolitan Community would speak out against the $15.7 billion project at public hearings. The reason: there isn’t enough in it for Montreal. “At the end of the day, it’s all about our territory,” he said, arguing that the alleged environmental dangers outweigh the potential economic benefits to the city.

You can argue that Coderre is simply doing his job in objecting to the plan. Municipal leaders are elected to deal with local issues, and Energy East is unpopular in Quebec. Though the risks of a spill are greatly overblown by environmental zealots, local councils must take them into consideration nonetheless.

But this is an issue with ramifications that reach far beyond city hall. As Alberta leaders and commentators have pointed out, Montreal’s position makes little sense. The National Energy Board’s review has barely begun, and Trans-Canada Corp. continues to make changes to accommodate concerns. Coderre and his colleagues can’t even know what they’re objecting to, as the project is still evolving. Quebec receives billions of dollars in benefits from the energy industry, not least via the sums Alberta contributes to equalization payments, of which Quebec is the biggest recipient. Most of the pipeline already exists and is merely being repurposed to carry oil in place of natural gas. And the alternative to a pipeline is shipment by rail, increasing the danger of explosions like the one that took 47 lives in Lac-Megantic, Que.

On a different plane, Montreal’s stance demonstrates a worrying slide towards petty insularity as Canada’s provinces put local partisanship ahead of national interests. Quebec Premier Philippe Couillard and Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne have issued a set of conditions that must be met before they can consider granting their approval. British Columbia Premier Christy Clark has demanded a bigger share of economic benefits from pipelines that cross B.C., and this week refused support for a $6.8 billion project running through Burnaby. Premiers have a duty and responsibility to protect the interests of their province, but Canada’s provincial governments seem far more eager to find excuses to oppose than to work towards solutions.

The Trudeau government has loudly proclaimed its determination to reposition Canada as a country eager to do its part in battling climate change. It devotes equal fervour to its belief that issues can be settled in a cooperative spirit, rather than through confrontation and divisiveness. Just this week, Trudeau told an audience in Davos that Canada can fight the good fight against greenhouse gas emissions “without sacrificing growth and prosperity.”

That is exactly what Alberta Premier Rachel Notley has sought to do. Her government has pledged to cap emissions, phase out coal power, introduce a carbon tax and review oil royalties. She flew to Paris to promise delegates at the UN climate summit a new and enlightened approach. In return she has sought co-operation from other “progressive” provincial leaders, only to be spurned.

This is a direct threat to Trudeau. Although Wynne said Friday after a meeting with Notley that Alberta’s new approach “makes the conversation easier,” the leading impediments to Energy East — Coderre, Wynne, Couillard — are all Liberals. All claim to welcome Ottawa’s new collegiality. Yet on its first serious test, Trudeau’s doctrine appears headed to unmitigated failure. Energy East would benefit Canada enormously by opening a route to tidewater, reducing dependence on t he U. S. market, narrowing the discount on Canadian oil and strengthening the Alberta economy that has been the key driver of Canadian prosperity.

Neither Coderre nor the premiers can block the pipeline, but they can play a major role in marshalling public opinion. They should be working to see it through, instead of raising barriers. Rather than debating celebrity environmentalists in Switzerland, Trudeau should be using all his persuasive powers and economic clout to end the rancour and prove his government is about more than just words. Find a way to make Energy East happen. Show us that sunny ways works.