FACE TO FACE: Is Premier Christy Clark's pipeline stance the right strategy?
Everyone is lathered that Premier Christy Clark's position on the Enbridge pipeline is unconstitutional. The media is piling on daily.
So this week, I find myself on the wrong side of the Face to Face formula and in the unfamiliar position of defending Premier Clark.
I think Premier Clark's feistiness on the Enbridge Pipeline is a winning strategy - for both her and for B.C.
Picking a fight with Alberta Premier Alison Redford is resonating with British Columbians, who agree that B.C. should get more of the billions Alberta stands to make on the pipeline deal.
In this fight, Ms. Clark is coming off as a fiscal crusader, fighting for B.C. against dual Albertans - the premier of Alberta and the prime minister of Canada.
Her pipeline crusade is an unexpected gift to beleaguered BC Liberals and it's giving Ms. Clark's sagging personal popularity a much-needed boost.
It's a winning strategy she will no doubt continue.
But besides raising her own personal popularity, Premier Clark's gritty strategy is also a winner for the public, especially since "yes, for a price" has been fleshed out to include stern demands for significant First Nations consultation and evidence of "world-leading" environmental standards.
The longer Ms. Clark plays hardball, the more shrill her demands on Alberta and Canada, the less likely it is that this pipeline will go ahead - and that's good for all British Columbians.
First Nations opposition to the pipeline is unanimous. The consultation Ms. Clark is demanding would take decades; it won't happen.
And then there's Enbridge. With comical incompetence, The Keystone Kops of the oil biz recently added another spill to the 804 they themselves reported between 1999 and 2010.
Premier Clark won't squeeze more money out of Alberta or Canada. The First Nations will never agree to the pipeline. And public confidence in an Enbridge pipeline is irretrievable, especially since its existing pipelines could more accurately be called soaker hoses.
The Enbridge Pipeline is mortally wounded and Ms. Clark knows that any line she draws in the tar sands is unlikely to be crossed.
Bully for her. It's a winning strategy for all.
Face to Face columnist Jim Nelson is a retired Tri-City teacher and principal who lives in Port Moody. He has contributed a number of columns on education-related issues to The Tri-City News.
