FACE TO FACE: Is Premier Christy Clark's pipeline stance the right strategy?
Last month, Premier Christy Clark outlined the BC Liberal government's five "minimum requirements" for the Enbridge pipeline project. The conditions included: completion of the environmental review process, First Nations accommodation, improved marine and land spill response and benefit-sharing.
If you read the newspapers in British Columbia or listen to the radio talk shows, Clark's stance is politically motivated but is reasonable.
If you read the papers or listen to the politicians from the rest of Canada, however, Clark is a desperate unpopular politician whose stance is un-Canadian and unconstitutional.
On this issue, I'm going to agree with the rest of Canada.
First, let's be very clear: Nobody has ever denied the significance of a thorough environmental review process and First Nations accommodation.
So what this is really about - aside from crass politics - is money. Essentially, Clark wants a greater share of Alberta's gas royalties for that province to transport its bitumen through B.C.
But that's not how Canada works.
The Sun News Network's Ezra Levant put it best: "Could you imagine if a local politician, back in the 1880s, didn't want the Canadian Pacific Railway to go through, or in the 1950s didn't want the Trans-Canada Highway to go through - unless the trains or trucks stopped and paid a big toll? What would Canada would be like if every province started to play that game?"
Even other premiers have lined-up to bash our premier.
Newfoundland's Kathy Dunderdale says: "I don't agree that provinces should be able to use their geographical location to hold off economic development for their sister provinces."
Saskatchewan's Brad Wall wants to know if Clark wants to tax wheat or uranium or potash, too: "This is the thin edge of a very big wedge. You can't just say 'Look, we only want to do this in the case of bitumen.' What about the rail transport of other minerals? Or perhaps... potentially dangerous chemicals that are manufactured in other parts of Canada and shipped across?"
While B.C.'s media has bought into Christy Clark's game, one can only hope they will come to their senses and see what the rest of Canada sees: a desperate premier who has concocted an unreasonable policy in a pathetic attempt to save her job.
Andy Radia is a Coquitlam resident and political columnist who writes for Yahoo! Canada News and Vancouver View Magazine. He has been politically active in the Tri-Cities, having been involved with election campaigns at all three levels of government, including running for Coquitlam city council in 2005.
