What's the 'National Interest' anyway?

[Cactusflower]

This is an interesting opinion on what might happen at the 'Big 3 Summit' on Sunday:
https://www.desmog.ca/2018/04/11/what-s ... ine-debate?

[Jack DeBear]

That is a great article.

So, what would your compromise be Cactusflower?

Mine is to heck with trying to export-import our oil, run a pipeline across Canada as in ‘The National Dream,’ and provide Canada with its own fossil fuel responsibly, autonomy, and security.

Nevertheless . . ..

To follow up where your article leaves off:

Graham Thomson: Ottawa needs to give B.C. Premier Horgan a face-saving way out of pipeline war

What Horgan needs is a graceful way out, one where he can back down without looking like he backed down. The best way is probably through the courts. Horgan knows this.

<snip>

http://edmontonjournal.com/news/politic ... peline-war

[normaM]

It is at this point Alberta Interest not National.
BC takes the risks, AB reaps the financial rewards
Who will fill all these " thousands of jobs?" Americans

[Jack DeBear]

I believe the OP article is about compromising on a positon--let the courts decide.

Thompson follows up on Kahane in that he sees the compromise is for Alberta to take a risk on buying in on the pipeline as a way of buying time while BC uses the courts to fight the construction. Let the courts decide.

And I've stated my compromise--give up on exporting-importing in the national interest of taking charge of our own petroleum resources.

So the list grows:

What would your compromise be Cactusflower?

What would your compromise be normaM?

[normaM]

I like yours
AB is not giving a flying eff about the environment concerns here for BC
Don't recall we were getting great deals on gas before, if she can buy the pipeline they could handle everything then in AB
Ms Notley was sagging badly re public opinion is her province, she is so happy that now she looks like the warrior princess :)

[Rider59]

I guess it take some kind of special to even have to ask this question.

In the 'National Interest' seems self explanatory to me. Not sure what part some don't understand.

[erinmore3775]

Jack, like you I believe that it is time for compromise and a new National Energy Program. I believe that it should ensure that in 20 years Canada is totally energy self-sufficient. It should include the following:

- new and improved pipelines and distribution centers that would allow petroleum and natural gas to be distributed from coast to coast

- new refineries built at source

- development of solar, tidal, and wind generation to strengthen and add to nuclear and hydro electric production

- movement towards fostering joint federal/provincial/public funding of these projects.

Canada has the ability to use its natural resources to develop energy self-sufficiency will at the same time reducing its carbon footprint and promoting responsible environmental management. To achieve these you need leadership and the willingness to compromise. It is time to leave political lines in the sand behind.

[Cactusflower]

Good morning, everyone. And I'm happy to see we're all on the same page on this issue........so far, that is. It's high time Pierre Trudeau's NEP was revisited and tweaked. That part of Canada's history has always bothered me immensely. Erinmore, your comment says it much more eloquently than I ever could. Why don't you forward your comment to Trudeau? I'm pretty sure he doesn't have the intelligence to think of that himself.

[Jonrox]

I hate to tell you folks, but environmental concerns don't trump all other factors.

The national interest is what's best for the country after taking into account overall risks and benefits to the nation as a whole. None of the provinces exist in a bubble - although some of you seem to be putting BC's interests far above the rest of the country. I consider myself to be a Canadian first, British Columbian second. Some of you don't seem to share that sentiment.

So environmental concerns play a role but there will always be a component of risk. If it's determined that the economic benefits outweigh the risks, then the project goes ahead as the nation benefits overall.

In this case, it's a matter of weighing the potential environmental risk against a guaranteed economic benefit.

[Cactusflower]

Good morning, everyone. And I'm happy to see we're all on the same page on this issue........so far, that is. It's high time Pierre Trudeau's NEP was revisited and tweaked. That part of Canada's history has always bothered me immensely. Erinmore, your comment says it much more eloquently than I ever could. Why don't you forward your comment to Trudeau? I'm pretty sure he doesn't have the intelligence to think of that himself.

I retract the last part of my comment. I'll wait until after the 'Big 3 Summit' to see what transpires. Trudeau must be intelligent enough to realize that there is no 'constitutional challenge' or whatever Notley's calling it, and that the only way to end this conflict is with a sensible compromise. So far Horgan's the only one who seems to realize this.

[hobbyguy]

It is at this point Alberta Interest not National.
BC takes the risks, AB reaps the financial rewards
Who will fill all these " thousands of jobs?" Americans

BC is part of Canada. What risks?

BC gets exponentially better marine safety paid for.
BC gets more federal money for projects (the feds get a lot of revenue from the oil sands)
BC gets to help out our friends and neighbors in Alberta who spend a lot of money here.
BC gets tax revenues from a lot of BC residents who work in the oil sands, you know, people with real jobs.

We are all Canadians. Parochialism is small minded and myopic.

[Drip_Torch]

I retract the last part of my comment. I'll wait until after the 'Big 3 Summit' to see what transpires. Trudeau must be intelligent enough to realize that there is no 'constitutional challenge' or whatever Notley's calling it, and that the only way to end this conflict is with a sensible compromise. So far Horgan's the only one who seems to realize this.

Supplementary to your comments... Premier Horgan is the only one in that room on Sunday that might be able to get the relevant stakeholders back into the room to deal with the real issues that are going to kill this thing.

[Bsuds]

I'll wait until after the 'Big 3 Summit' to see what transpires.

I think it's more like the 3 Stooges.

[Ka-El]

Canada has the ability to use its natural resources to develop energy self-sufficiency will at the same time reducing its carbon footprint and promoting responsible environmental management. To achieve these you need leadership and the willingness to compromise. It is time to leave political lines in the sand behind.

A beautiful dream, and one I would fully support - but unlike the days when we had visionary leadership that lead to a railway across Canada, and then a highway, in today's political world we have too many polarized interests and people from fringe groups who have no problem throwing their tantrums when they don't get their way. There is certainly no willingness to compromise being demonstrated by the Kinder Morgan protestors who show they have no problem in holding the rest of the province economic hostages, and care not one iota just how ridiculously foolish they make us all look in doing so.

[Sparki55]

A beautiful dream, and one I would fully support - but unlike the days when we had visionary leadership that lead to a railway across Canada, and then a highway, in today's political world we have too many polarized interests and people from fringe groups who have no problem throwing their tantrums when they don't get their way. There is certainly no willingness to compromise being demonstrated by the Kinder Morgan protestors who show they have no problem in holding the rest of the province economic hostages, and care not one iota just how ridiculously foolish they make us all look in doing so.

It's my opinion that similar protesters existed when the railway was constructed. They would not have been environmentalists but instead ranchers and business owners that the railroad interfered with. Back then the protesters would not of made the national news and I bet they were handled a little differently to ensure nothing stopped the railway. Modern day society is all about the individual and not the interest of the entire nation. Great things will cease to be completed the more power we give small interest groups. Maybe that is for the best and stalling all our pipelines is a good idea, I'm not suggesting we do away with their concern; all I am pointing out is how soft we are on protesters to how protesters were dealt with 100's of years ago.