Voices heard, but leadership sorely lacking

Let us momentarily set aside the hourly updates from the front lines of the anti-coastal Gaslink blockades that have clogged our ports, obstructed our rail freight and shut down our bridges to ask ourselves: How in the name of whatever higher power you want to choose, did we get here?

Indigenous rights, reconciliation and, indeed, emerging questions over whether all First Nations voices are being heard, are important and significant parts of the story, but not the whole tale.

We are also a nation today so utterly demarcated along political and regional lines when it comes to resource development projects that it takes but a moment to tear ourselves apart, with little sign we might reunite.

Just four months ago, the nation’s election results suggested two-thirds of the country said “yes” to political parties campaigning for energy projects, while the same number voted for parties advocating carbon taxation. Liberals, who advocated both, claimed the thinnest of mandates to bring both about. That was then; this is now.

New public opinion data from the Angus Reid Institute shows just how polarized we are on the energy file. At first glance, the national numbers don’t betray this: On the proposed Teck Frontier mine, nearly half the country (49 per cent) says it is supportive. On Trans Mountain, just over half say yes (55 do so) and on the Coastal Gaslink, again, about half endorse the project aimed at carrying natural gas from northern British Columbia to the Pacific coast, where it is mean to be exported to Asia for billions of dollars.

But a closer look at how opinions cleave along political lines shows this overall half-way support is driven almost entirely by the vehement, fervent backing of those who voted for the Conservative Party. Between 80 and 90 per cent of past CPC voters champion each project. Almost equally forceful is the opposition to each by past NDP and Bloc Québécois voters. This is turn creates regional divisions wherein massive majorities in Alberta wish to see all three projects proceed, while those in Quebec are passionate about seeing them stopped.

As for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s base — a significant portion of which was composed of “10-second Liberals” who voted to prevent Andrew Scheer from forming government — they are divided, leaving their leader with little political sanction to pick a side.

Of course, political sanction is a mere fragment of the true leadership that seems to be lacking in all corners.

Yes, Justin Trudeau eventually returned from his travels to focus on de-escalating the blockades. This is paramount. But where, in his absence, has been deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland, ostensibly tasked with intergovernmental affairs?

So far, none of the premiers is showing the kind of leadership former Alberta premier Rachel Notley did in taking out large advertising buys to communicate directly to Canadians on TMX.

As to the companies whom we are told want to offer so much in the way of economic opportunity? Let’s just say the corporate folks have yet to realize that doing the required regulatory homework and stakeholder consultations clearly isn’t enough to hold a social mandate for a project they haven’t explained to everyone else.

Ironically, in B.C., LNG development was once the most palatable resource project on the table. Now, as it is increasingly associated with the word “pipeline,” more oppose than support it.

Given that most swing voters identify climate change as their most important issue, and as this country struggles to offer a plan to meet its COP21 targets, does Canada risk turning into a country where the only good resource development project is a cancelled one?

We understand the impacts that increasing carbon emissions have on the physical environment. Few totally reject the need to reduce them.

What about our investment environment? This is a critical moment for Canada: We can either try to take a breath and find a more unified way forward, or we can stay in our corners and witness the consequences of much more than a single energy project falling apart.