Dealing With Canadian Problems, the Canadian Way

Whispering in the Wind (WITW 66) February 25, 2015

Canadians depend upon its elected politicians to guide them through the ups / downs of change, hopefully to the betterment of the citizenry.  And ooh how things have changed!!!

Canada, a Need to be Proactive on Energy

Last June the international price for oil was at $100 a barrel, today it is under $50 – reality check in Alberta’s oil sand’s sector: new developments and expansion of existing projects have become uneconomic - experts are predicting depressed oil prices for the next two, three years.  The Royal Dutch Shell PLC announced earlier this week that it was indefinitely postponing the 200,000 barrel a day Pierre River mine project north of Fort McMurray.  The conventional oil industry has also done its calculations and the news is not good for Alberta; a reality check, there are going to be delays, cancellations and a lot of belt tightening.  As pessimistic as things look for Alberta in the shorter term there is good reason for optimism, if only our national government and its politicians start thinking in terms of addressing the major obstacles facing the energy sector and that means a desperate need for a National Energy Strategy.  From my perspective, Alberta’s premier Jim Prentice is quite capable and can manage Alberta’s short term revenue shortfall, but it’s going to be a forward thinking prime minister who is going to get Canada out of a real energy mess. 

Canada: a Need for Security, Without Political Panic

Canadians have always been able to express disagreement and descent through the signing of petitions, walking in street marches or  waving banners at a pro (con) rally – it’s a constitutional right to protest.  What  is deemed unacceptable are the planned acts of insurrection, which by definition are overt revolts against a ruling authority.  Canada hasn’t seen a serious act of insurrection for about 45 years – the 1970 October Crisis – when the prime minister of Canada declared the War Measures Act and placed a military presence in the streets of Quebec to curb the FLQ, an extremist group of separatists.  In the past six months, threats by international extremist groups like ISIS and overt acts of insurrection causing the deaths of Canadian armed service personal has caused Prime Minister Harper’s government to introduce new anti-terrorism legislation measures which enhance the powers of Canada’s security agencies and at the very least, curb planned terrorism activity within Canada’s boarders and elsewhere.  Opposition to Bill C-51 is the expansive powers contained in the bill and the lack of parliamentary oversight.  While I agree with giving our security agencies the necessary resources and the authority to deal with the subversive acts and actions of those that want to do Canada harm, there are limits.  Mr. Harper has again shown that it is Harper Way or No Way and that is most unfortunate for the country because it’s not the Canadian Way.