Things are shifting folks and that’s a good thing.
The Harper government is making it clear that when it comes to approving industrial projects in Canada, the decision should come from Canada and Canadians.
And they are now saying the decision has to be fair.
You could consider this a victory for you, the viewers of Sun News, who have been calling and writing on this issue and pushing the government.
Today, Natural Resources Minister Joe Oliver has an open letter in the Globe and Mail. Oliver says it is vital for Canada to expand its trading relationshsips, including on energy issues.
“Unfortunately, there are environmental and other radical groups that would seek to block this opportunity to diversify our trade. Their goal is to stop any major project no matter what the cost to Canadian families in lost jobs and economic growth.
No forestry. No mining. No oil. No gas. No more hydro-electric dams.”
And that it seems is what so many self-proclaimed environmentalists want, no forestry, no mining, no oil, no gas and no more hydro-electricity.
When was the last time you heard of an environmental group supporting an energy product other than government subsidies for solar or wind power?
Oliver points out that these groups “threaten to hijack our regulatory system.” Using loopholes and exploiting a system designed to seek balance, these groups delay project after project adding huge costs.
Often these groups have the backing of glamourous jet-setting celebrities.
Hollywood star Robert Redford, who lives in a Utah ski resort he owns, came out against the Northern Gateway pipeline which proposes to take Canadian oil to Asian markets.
Redford doesn’t like Canadian oil but seems to have no problem using oil for his own lifestyle or to welcome the tens of thousands of people that flock to Utah for his Sundance Film festival.
Leonardo Dicaprio is also on board. Sure Dicaprio loves to fly himself around the world, as does Redford who flew to Germany to get married, but both of them just want to make sure the environment is taken care of.
So Redford, Dicaprio and other celebrities are putting their mouths and their foreign money into opposing Canadian industrial projects that would make jobs for Canadians.
We’ve been pointing this out to you, along with the foreign money from British and Swiss based corporations and American foundations and you have responded.
Minister Oliver isn’t alone in noticing. Here is what Prime Minister Stephen Harper said last Friday in Edmonton.
“We have to have processes in Canada that come to a decision in a reasonable amount of time. And, processes that cannot be hijacked in particular, growing concern has been expressed to me about the use of foreign money to really overload the public consultation phase of regulatory hearings, just for the purpose of slowing down the process. This is something that is not good for the Canadian economy and the government of Canada will be taking a close look at how we can ensure that our regulatory processes are effective and deliver
decisions.”
We are changing to conversation people. Keep up the good work. We wouldn’t accept foreign money coming into our political campaigns without it being declared and without Canadians having a debate, why is this different?
If it is happening we should know.
And that’s the Byline.
Categories: Byline
