Peak oil rhetoric
Could the rhetoric get any more heated in the Trans Mountain pipeline dispute? Well, probably it could and probably it will, but it has reached ridiculous levels already.
The pipeline debate is a serious matter. To Albertans, their economy is at stake.
But it should also be noted as political leaders there compete to see who can threaten B.C. the most, a provincial election is coming up next year.
British Columbians are split on the pipeline — an Angus Reid poll in February said 58 per cent of us supported Premier John Horgan’s opposition to the pipeline with 42 per cent disagreeing with the premier.
That split is similar to the Coastal-Interior divide we saw in the last provincial election.
In Ottawa, Justin Trudeau’s government is doing a tricky balancing act by trying to be both pro-environment and pro-oil industry. The government says it’s firmly in favour of this pipeline, but hasn’t backed up its words with actions, yet.
While we shouldn’t diminish the seriousness of this issue, some of the rhetoric is worth laughing at.
After U.S.-based Kinder Morgan announced Sunday it was halting all unessential work on the pipeline, the press releases and soundbites started flying:
Alberta Premier Rachel Notley said her government might invest in the pipeline. It’s not clear how that will help defeat B.C.’s pipeline opponents, but it sounded like something a strong leader would say.
Others urged Ottawa to withhold payments to B.C. as punishment.
Ottawa has done that before when federalprovincial cost-sharing agreements have been broken by the provinces. It fined B.C. for allowing doctors to privately bill patients. But the B.C. government hasn’t actually done anything to stop the pipeline yet.
To settle the Alberta wine boycott, Horgan moved his opposition to the pipeline to the courts by asking judges to decide whether he has powers to oppose the pipeline on environmental grounds.
Notley immediately crowed that Horgan had backed down. But almost as quickly, she was warning B.C. to keep its mouth shut.
Now, she is threatening to introduce the Preserving Canada’s Economic Prosperity Act to hit out again at B.C. Did we mention there’s an election coming up?
Other suitable names for the bill could be: The I Want to be Premier of B.C. Too bill, the Shut Up B.C. bill, and The Pre-Election Campaign Rhetoric bill.
In a press release that followed Kinder Morgan’s announcement, the Independent Contractors and Businesses Association, which has never been a fan of the BC NDP, stated: “Canadian Economy Hangs on Future of Pipeline.”
Like the name of Notley’s bill, that’s a little strong. This is a B.C.-Alberta issue. The rest of Canada is watching from the sidelines.
On Twitter, federal Infrastructure Minister Amarjeet Sohi from Edmonton took on one of B.C.’s most vocal anti-pipeline politicians, NDP MP Kennedy Stewart, tweeting: “Next time you fly between B.C. & Ottawa, give thanks to thousands of oil workers who enable you to do your job while you & (Premier John) horgan sabotage their livelihood.”
The Alberta MP needs to be seen as pro-pipeline. That tweet does it.
Pipeline opponents have been just as rabid. It’s likely their protests, with arrests and some violence, more than Horgan’s words, have made Kinder Morgan skittish.
Will cooler heads prevail? Don’t bet on it for a while yet.