Democracy Gone Astray

Democracy, being a human construct, needs to be thought of as directionality rather than an object. As such, to understand it requires not so much a description of existing structures and/or other related phenomena but a declaration of intentionality.
This blog aims at creating labeled lists of published infringements of such intentionality, of points in time where democracy strays from its intended directionality. In addition to outright infringements, this blog also collects important contemporary information and/or discussions that impact our socio-political landscape.

All the posts here were published in the electronic media – main-stream as well as fringe, and maintain links to the original texts.

[NOTE: Due to changes I haven't caught on time in the blogging software, all of the 'Original Article' links were nullified between September 11, 2012 and December 11, 2012. My apologies.]

Tuesday, March 19, 2013

Accusations fly over Keystone XL pipeline

The NDP and Tory battle over the proposed Keystone XL oil pipeline escalated into accusations and countercharges of treachery as Premier Alison Redford opened the province’s new office in Ottawa on Monday.

Redford, who also spoke at the Economic Club of Canada and made the rounds of media interviews, took several opportunities to portray federal NDP Leader Thomas Mulcair as undermining Canada’s interests by airing his opposition to the pipeline — intended to ship Alberta bitumen to the U.S. Gulf Coast — last week in Washington, D.C.

But at the legislature in Edmonton, it was provincial NDP Leader Brian Mason who accused the Progressive Conservative government of betraying Alberta by supporting Keystone — instead of requiring greater upgrading of bitumen within Alberta.

“The Keystone pipeline will cost Alberta tens of thousands of jobs and billions of dollars in investment,” Mason said during question period. “This PC government is so deep in the pockets of the oil industry it has sold out the very people who elected it.”

Alberta’s NDP leader also slammed the Tory government’s $30,000 weekend advertisement in the New York Times making the argument for TransCanada’s 1,800-kilometre pipeline as “misleading greenwash.”

While the half-page ad touted the creation of 138,000 jobs in connection to the line, Mason said those positions are in the United States — “most ... at Albertans’ expense.”

But deputy premier Thomas Lukaszuk fired back, saying Mulcair and Mason are “actively sabotaging our oil and gas industry, making sure our products don’t get to market.

“The leaders of the federal and provincial NDP party would have this industry lying flat on its back. An industry that pays for services not only in Alberta but throughout Canada,” said Lukaszuk, who is also advanced education minister.

It was Lukaszuk’s first appearance in the legislature since the spring sitting began March 5, having spent two weeks in Vietnam on a personal trip with a volunteer group constructing a refurbished playground.

Later in question period, Lukaszuk bristled when NDP MLA Rachel Notley said he had been away “building sandcastles on the beach” while the post-secondary sector took a kicking in the March 7 provincial budget.

The deputy premier said he had been “doing some great infrastructure work in a country ravaged by the NDP ideology.”

That comparison to Vietnam’s Communist government prompted a point of order from Mason and a grudging apology from Lukaszuk.

While provincial politicians sparred in Edmonton, Redford lambasted Mulcair for his trip last week to Washington, where he criticized the Harper government’s environmental record — especially on oilsands development — and argued Keystone XL will export potentially tens of thousands of Canadian jobs.

“It is very unfortunate for Mr. Mulcair to have travelled to Washington to undermine the months of good work that has been undertaken by national leaders in this country, by premiers across this country,” Redford said Monday in a speech to business and political leaders.

“I actually believe it is a fundamental betrayal of Canada’s long-term economic interests.”

Mulcair, however, said the NDP is simply arguing that Canada should be adding value to its own resources and creating jobs at home, not in the United States.

The NDP would rather see the oilsands crude shipped to Eastern Canada for refining via a pan-Canadian pipeline, generating a better price for producers, more provincial royalties and new Canadian jobs, he said.

“We think that we should take care of Canada’s own energy security first,” Mulcair told reporters in Ottawa.

Alberta’s PC government is suffering a massive revenue shortfall this year, in part because of a bottleneck of heavy oil in the U.S. Midwest that has led to a deep discount for bitumen. The province has launched a full-court press to gain approval for projects such as Keystone and the proposed Northern Gateway pipeline to the B.C. coast.

Both Redford and Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Cal Dallas, who travelled to the nation’s capital to open the province’s new office in Ottawa, stressed Alberta is ready to stiffen its environmental standards.

“We’re ready to move the bar again,” Dallas said. “There’s been some very clear signalling by the Obama administration that the United States is prepared to do that.

“And I think we’ve clearly indicated that we concur the time is right for that. We’re ready to refresh, to renew our commitments around those greenhouse gas targets.”

Original Article
Source: calgaryherald.com
Author:  James Wood

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