The blame game

Re: Energy politics trap Trudeau — Oct. 10

Your editorial states that “Justin Trudeau’s Liberals should not be blamed for killing” the Energy East pipeline. Quite right, but they should be blamed for not championing it the same way they are championing Bombardier’s fight over subsidies. Energy East would put more into the economy in one year than Bombardier could in a century.

The Record contends it was basic economics that sounded Energy East’s death. I do not believe energy companies make decisions based on the day-to-day value of oil and gas. They base it on projections and all the projections indicate a rise in demand for oil and gas through 2030.

Other factors such as regulatory hurdles do influence investment decisions and the new National Energy Board rules could only have a negative influence on investment decisions. The new NEB regulations on upstream and downstream carbon emissions were the poison pill. TransCanada would be on the hook for something they have no control over. It’s like telling Bell that if someone plots murder over a telephone wire Bell must bear responsibility for facilitating it. It’s ludicrous.

Was the decision by TransCanada to shelve Energy East a business decision? Yes, of course it was. Was it based on the current price of oil? Unlikely. Was it influenced by Canadian government regulatory changes and apparent lack of support? Probably. David Montgomery Cambridge