Protest groups forcing energy industry off a cliff and into thin air

Moment of reckoning will soon be upon us as GDP continues to plummet

Wile E. Coyote should supplant the beaver as Canada’s national symbol.

In the trade, it’s called cartoon physics, and old Wile E. was the acknowledged master — having the ability to race off a cliff and keep on churning those legs faster and faster without initially falling.

Of course, all of us who watched those Saturday morning TV shows so many years ago recall what eventually happened. After those few, frantic seconds suspended in mid-air, there would come that moment when Wile E. stopped running. He’d look askance into the camera with an expressive mix of confusion, surprise and justifiable fear before plummeting to earth.

You see, even with cartoon physics, there does indeed come a moment of reckoning, and while many Canadians out there in the real world are still churning those lower limbs with gusto, that time is fast approaching us all.

Productivity is shot, growing deficits are the new normal, exports are plummeting and the dollar is busted.

The latest quarterly GDP numbers were the worst in seven years, and yet the PM talks glibly about Canada being a “resourceful” economy rather than relying on the one real strength we actually possess, so we’ll chase that elusive Road Runner right off the cliff.

It doesn’t have to be that way, of course. We could wake up and discover a sense of national purpose by working as Canadians to develop an environmentally and financially safe, stable and profitable energy business. Yes, that would be the very business that provides by far and away the majority impetus to this country’s exports and GDP, which trickles down into a decent standard of living for us all.

But we won’t. Facts don’t matter in this debate, so the frantic rush to the cliff edge will continue unabated, and not until the pain that’s now Alberta’s is fully exported to the rest of this country – which is already starting to happen – will that moment of mid-air panic occur. Sadly, by then, it could be too late – getting something back is a lot harder than keeping it in the first place.

The nasty drop in GDP in the second quarter came as energy exports fell more than seven per cent, much of that blamed on the Fort McMurray wildfires. Just imagine how much we can lop off growth if our activist friends manage to close the oilsands altogether.

But the second driver of the Canadian economy wasn’t much better — motor vehicles and parts fell almost six per cent due to lower exports of cars and trucks.

You see, real life isn’t too different from the cartoon world.

The creator of Wile E. Coyote and his “beep-beep” nemesis was Chuck Jones, and he had nine golden rules to build each episode upon. His third rule could prove interesting reading for those who currently take gleeful pleasure in opposing any pipeline development anywhere at any time in this country. That rule stated the coyote could stop any time — if he were not a fanatic.

In drawing up such a maxim, Jones abided by George Santayana’s definition of fanatic — one who redoubles his efforts when he has forgotten his aim.

Because what is the aim of all these various protest groups, native bands and political hangers-on? Is it to destroy the Canadian economy to the extent that there will be no cheques in the mail for our reserve occupants, no grants for environmental action studies, no advocacy roles paid for by the generous public teat? If it is, then just like Wile E., they’re approaching liftoff.

One suspects, however, such an outcome has never crossed their collective minds. They simply believe the funding will continue and the cosy world of feeling superior without having to get your hands dirty will go on and on.

It won’t. Some day, they will freeze, then look askance with a mix of confusion, surprise and justifiable fear before plummeting to earth. Looney Tunes, indeed.