Pipeline roadblocks
Re: Trudeau risks repeating the sins of his father. John Ivison, Feb. 8
At a recent town- hall meeting, the prime minister incorrectly described the dispute over the Kinder Morgan pipeline as an interprovincial matter.
Even making most generous allowances, there is no way that he is not aware that the basic issue is that the B. C. government is attempting to assert jurisdiction over what is clearly a federal responsibility. At the very least, the B.C. government is once again trying to put roadblocks in the path of the project in the hopes that Kinder Morgan will abandon it, allowing the government to shirk responsibility for the outcome.
What Mr. Trudeau is also doing is trying to avoid his responsibilities, presumably for political purposes. By doing so, he is assisting the B.C. government’s objective. This is not a minor issue; Trudeau appears willing to destroy the fabric of the federal system and hugely damage Alberta in the process.
Canada cannot afford to have such a spineless Prime Minister.
John Sutherland, Victoria, B. C.
Rule of law, transparency of regulations and opportunities for growth are some of the key tenets required to attract investment.
The devolution of the Trans Mountain debate, through the application of additional reviews and the commencement of interprovincial trade wars, has implications that will weigh on future Canadian investment if federal action is not taken soon. This debate is about much more than energy, and the consequences are potentially significant, from the ongoing balkanization of Canada to the ability of the country to attract new sources of capital.
Today the debate is about pipelines and climate, while tomorrow it could be something else. For an investor, domestic or foreign, it is weighed in the balance of a global opportunity set and can be redeployed without notice.
As Canadians, we need to be very careful about the path we choose to walk down as it could lead to unintended consequences.
William J. Lacey, CFA, Chief Financial Officer at Steelhead Petroleum Ltd.