Difficult Choice

[Ken The Kanuck]

As many here know from my previous postings that I and my son work in the oil and gas industry here in British Columbia.

Some may know that there is a raging debate if the pipeline company should be allowed to increase the size and volume of the pipeline here to the west coast for shipment overseas.

The anti's feel that the increased shipping has a potential to cause an environmental disaster if an oil spill was to occur. There of course is that possibility.

The pro side of the argument points out that many millions of barrels have been shipped out our ports and this has not happened in the decades we have been shipping or receiving product. Other factors which support the pipeline is the benefit to our economy, both provincially and federally.

The province of Alberta where the oil comes from is threatening to cut off or reduce the oil and gas shipments to BC in retaliation to the BC government opposing the pipeline expansion. Political factors must be taken into consideration here also. In the last election the long ruling conservatives (conservative for us at least) was replaced by a left wing political party (NDP) which did not received enough votes for a majority government but joining forces with the Green party and having the Greens give them the 3 seats they had voted in gave the NDP enough seats to form a shakey majority government and rule.

To further muddy the waters and this is where I have a problem the Federal government is Gung Ho on the project going ahead and is telling the province of British Columbia that they will force us to expand the pipeline. Recently the Federal government went and bought the pipeline from Kinder Morgan for a bunch of billions.

I do not like the idea that the Federal government believes they have the right to dictate to the provincial government what they can or cannot do in their own province.

I am in agreement that the pipeline project should go ahead but am in total disagreement that the federal government has the right to dictate this to us.

It might be easier for Americans to replace province with state in order to understand what I am getting at.

What do you think?

KTK

[Sunray]

Junior's gang has made the decision for you and everybody else. The Canadian Taxpayer is now the proud owner of the Kinder Morgan Trans Mountain pipe. To the tune of $4.5 billion. Kind of suspect it'll end up in either American or Chinese hands.
"...replace province with state..." Different country. Different rules. King Obama was able to stop the Keystone pipe. The Donald changed that.

[JB White]

Ken, I'm not at all familiar with the Canadian Constitution, Parliamentary representation, nor the laws concerning Canadian commerce etc. Living south of the 49th my opinions are moot. Sorry.

[togor]

Sounds like one of the sticking points for BC folks is that they don't feel adequately compensated for the additional environmental risks. Maybe too the fact that Alberta tar sands oil has a heavy carbon footprint.

In general I wonder if sending North American natural resources to Asia is a great move long term. Not just whole logs to Asian sawmills. The sellers want to move as much product as they can *now*, but that means some of this oil/gas/timber/minerals are not there to service domestic demand in the future. Something to be said for foresighted resource management.

[S.A. Boggs]

Sounds like one of the sticking points for BC folks is that they don't feel adequately compensated for the additional environmental risks. Maybe too the fact that Alberta tar sands oil has a heavy carbon footprint.

In general I wonder if sending North American natural resources to Asia is a great move long term. Not just whole logs to Asian sawmills. The sellers want to move as much product as they can *now*, but that means some of this oil/gas/timber/minerals are not there to service domestic demand in the future. Something to be said for foresighted resource management.

Togor has a good point on this as natural resources are finite. In the United States the feds can make laws that MUST be Constitutional, same for the states except we have the 10th Amendment which separates them. I wish you well but not having the foggiest idea of Canadian law I am shooting blanks in giving advice.
Sam

[leftyo]

as far as ive ever seen, it is much less hazardous both to people and the environment to transport oil in a pipeline vs a train car. personally id like to see both American and Canadian oil stay right here in north America where its a benefit to everyone here, vs big oil just turning a buck.

[Mark in Ottawa]

I don't usually agree with the Prime Minister on very much but under the circumstances I think that he did the correct thing. British Columbia may be a province with a lot of say in many things but ultimately it is a part of Canada and cannot do things which are damaging the rest of the country. It is not so much imposing something on the province that they don't like, it is more that he is doing what is required for the prosperity of the country as a whole, including British Columbia. Having said that, it was time that he finally did his job. He rolled over and played dead with Quebec when they objected to the Energy East pipeline (a totally politically motivated bit of nonsense on their part since it is the revenue from Alberta oil that supports the Quebec economy) and then he rolled over and played dead again on the Northern Gateway pipeline. In both cases he should have forced the issue. As I'm sure you are aware, the lack of pipeline capacity is costing the Canadian economy about $15B per year due to lost foreign markets. The cost of buying Kinder Morgan and their existing pipeline is about $4.7B so it may not be a bad deal for the country in the end.