There are more important issues to be dealt with
To the big issues first on this 21st of January, 2021. Kudos to Erin O’toole for stilling the burgeoning menace of white supremacism before it squeaked into adult bloom. The purge of MP derek Sloan from the Conservatives, over his being the recipient of a campaign donation of $131 from an unclean source, is a vivid and wholesome example of positive leadership.
A hundred and thirty-one dollars can fund a feast of mischief, especially when covertly introduced to a member of a national opposition party. As the timeless proverb has it, great subversive oaks from sly little acorns grow. Well done, Mr. O’toole, the cleansing is complete, and nothing now stands in the way of a Conservative sweep whenever a visibly impatient Justin Trudeau carelessly summons us all to the polls.
Good also, to see Trudeau congratulating O’toole on the move. Nothing so consolidates the standing of a Leader of the Opposition than congratulatory remarks from the guy he dreams of replacing. Were flowers also sent? Nothing says “Great Joy” better than flowers.
Now that the Sloan matter is done, perhaps Mr. O’toole will turn to less pressing issues, like failed deliveries of COVID vaccinations, morbidly obese deficits and hindenburg-blimp-sized national debt. And should there be time left over from these picayune drolleries, it might also be possible for him to be a tad more insistent on the disappearance of the house of Commons, the absence of question period, debates, overall accountability — that sort of, you know, governing stuff.
I note that the Ontario government has made it official that “dog walkers” are providing an “essential service.” Which may seem irrelevant to the above ruminations. But it did set me to thinking that if dog walking is deemed essential to the functioning of a province during a plague, might a case be made that MPS should be sitting in their house of Commons seats? Surely they must rank in “essentiality” with those who shepherd canines for a living. here’s a thought: maybe someone could walk them to Parliament hill.
Jagmeet Singh, Mr. Trudeau’s supporting partner during these anxious times, has for once turned his otherwise muffled guns on his ally. The stylish Mr. Singh tweeted (“tweeted” — the verb of our declining times) sharp and wounding words at Trudeau. Trudeau, he declared, has been very slack with regards to Joe Biden’s plan to kill the Keystone XL pipeline.
“President-elect Biden has been clear on his KXL position from the start. Justin Trudeau knew this, did nothing and let Albertans down.”
This is the most cutting criticism the NDP supremo has rained on Trudeau in quite a while. It certainly has more firepower than anything we have heard from Singh on vaccines, lockdowns, the WE imbroglio (Charlie Angus carried that now failing flag), rampant and un-scrutinized public expenditure, or the maiming of Parliament.
Singh gave this rhetorical judo chop on behalf of a pipeline he, personally and politically, vehemently opposes. And has described as giving “false hope to Alberta oil workers,” as well as the very nullification of any green agenda. his own words on Biden’s decision: “I agree with that decision. I do not support the project.”
But, at the very same time, he blisters Justin Trudeau for doing nothing to counter Biden’s determination to cancel it. Thumbs up for Joe; middle finger for Justin — for the same action. Singh is that rare creature; on pipelines he’s a political amphibian.
Now to Mr. Biden. he has many things on his very busy brain. But cancelling Keystone is at the very top of that greatly engaged organ. Pipelines, as we have been told by the most eminent chlorophyll politicians*, from Elizabeth May to Prince Charles, are evil, and dangerous, and a threat to our planet. KXL, because it links (oh horror) to Alberta energy, is the most evil and dangerous and threatening of all.
In fact pipelines are so bad that it is a true wonder that Biden and his environmental friends are not following through. By which I mean, apart from killing Keystone, why not dig up all the ones presently in service in, or on, the ground. That way they could have two Green slogans: down with pipelines! up with pipelines!”
Let me explain. At present for various energy needs, the u.s. has roughly three million — that’s three million — miles of pipeline. Three million miles of pipelines would circle the Earth 120 times! (No wonder there’s such alarm over the extra 1,500 miles the dreaded Keystone would add.)
Would not digging up three million miles of world-cratering pipelines, carting them away and disposing of them, provide thousands and thousands of (the required phrase) “sustainable new green jobs,” vastly reduce emissions, provide new space for windmills, and have the final advantage of flooding the hearts of every anti-oil campaigner with something like the bliss of heaven?
It’s too late to get “up with Pipelines” into Mr. Biden’s inaugural address, but, as the saying goes, I tried.
biden has been clear on his kxl position from the start.