Wednesday, April 24, 2019

Kenney Urged to Bring BC "To Heel" - Sounds Like Fighting Words to Me.


Ivison's column concerns a communications study by Navigator that concludes Albertans expect their premier-elect, Jason Kenney, to come out swinging against anyone and everyone who stands in the way of pipelines to tidewater.

Just as protesting pipelines has become a proxy for climate action in environmental circles, so building them is viewed as an antidote to the economic anxiety felt by Albertans. The focus groups vented their frustration at the damage done to the Albertan economy by the lack of support from other Canadian jurisdictions. 
They projected a sense that the downturn is structural, rather than cyclical, with participants portraying Calgary as a ghost town. “It felt like an Old West town and there’s tumbleweeds,” said one young woman. 
When the federal Liberal government and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau were discussed, frustration turned to rage and bewilderment. “I don’t understand why he hates us,” said one female millennial primary school teacher. 
It’s this sense of grievance that is likely to persuade Kenney to take a hard line. 
While many voters want the premier-designate to attempt diplomacy before turning off the taps that supply British Columbia, the study suggests voters are prepared to “take meaningful action to bring the B.C. government to heel.” There is substantially less patience and more anger with the federal and Quebec governments.
Nothing like cheap threats to warm the heart, eh?

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

It's hard to convince the Palm Pilot dealer to diversify his wares: "But I've got a warehouse full of these babies, if only the government would do something about BlackBerry."

The depressed marked for AB tar has nothing to do with BC or pipelines. There won't be another oil boom. It's time politicians stopped lying to people and pretending that producing oil is still in anyone's best interest.

Cap

the salamander said...

.. that would be the Navigator that produced an 'Alberta Election Handbook' ??.. No doubt a wonderful psychotool handout for a Kenney flavored political party. They deserved a slam & denunciation for that.. and it shows how balls to the wall dirtbaggy a PR company with entrenched political affiliations can be.

Its interesting reading your post, right after reading the latest from David Climinhaga over at Alberta Politics. After all my efforts to understand the issues & reality of hydrocarbon extraction for export.. its still a murky and frightening puzzle. Rife with ignorance, confusion, deceit and as always, layers upon layers of money and hysteria. 'Politics' is the new haven.. the new 'industry' where the perfect storm brews.. where asshats can frolic with impunity.. and become multimillionaires. Hell, politics is x rated entertainment.. it sure aint 'public service'.

I have mucho family in Alberta, mainly Calgary. One nephew is a drill boss, another is in the supply and support aspect of drilling. They don't lecture or hector me.. and I treat them the same.. but nobody in my family is hysterical or ignorant... and they certainly don't think Canadians hate them. I suspect they see Jason Kenney and Andrew Scheer as insignificant political twerps.. and have no time for them. Perhaos they see Trudeau as the kesser of evils.. I dunno. Maybe they're secret Greens.. I don't think I'll be secretive.. If I go Green.. I just go.. but I want and need to see responsive public service.. not lip service & making plans for a plan. If they say they'll protect a species.. they better get er done. If they invest tax payer money.. it better be proposed, acceptable & accountable

Jason Kenney is a tired glib political parasite. Sadly, a waste of oxygen.. he was a perfect Harper handmaiden... a hollow man.Keep that guy as far from British Columbia as possible. He reminds me somewhat of Donald Trump & Stephen Harper.. all being able to collect a retinue of loyal dullards.. all OK with hysterical fuckery.. They just can't help it.. its their nature. Watch for diseased folks like Ken Boessenkool to surface within the Kenney war room. Or Tom Flanagan.. surely Ray Novak and Jenni Byrne can't be far behind. PostMedia can pimp their soldout partisan tripe.. the political parasite hive is fired up again in Alberta.. My prediction? Albertans give Kenney et al the boot in four years. I just don't believe the current generations in Alberta are really evangelical.. far from it. And creampuff political parasites like Scheer, Kenney will just have to grind away at being loud noisemakers. Trudeau will be gone within the year, or within 5 years.. ie as soon as he realizes his flavor aint so good anymore..and a minority government cramps his style

And if Scheer get elected.. I'll probably leave Canada for the Turks & Caicos.. focus on writing.. and scathing commentary. Try to initiate and/or support environmental action in Canada - from a distance. Its unlikely I will ever set foot in the USA again, unless my aircraft is diverted. Maybe if Americans regain their senses.. which oretty well must happen & soon.. Deplorable just does not do justice to the creeps like Alex Jones, Mitch McConnell, Stephen Miller, Donald Trump types.. and that's the type that are taking over Canadian politics

The Mound of Sound said...


Cap, I think you miss the point. The sun may be setting on high-cost, high-carbon, low-value fossil fuels like bitumen, but that doesn't mean who still can't fight over it. This is where the partisan political interest prevails over the public interest.

The far right has mastered the art of extracting political advantage by manipulating their own base by stoking their fears, frustrations and basest instincts. It works. They know it.

The Mound of Sound said...


Don't go, Sal. We'll need everyone like you we can find to get through the 20s. Besides, if Camilo Mora and his team from the University of Hawaii are right and 'climate departure' does set in beginning in places like Central America and the Caribe in the early 20s, you might not be very comfortable living down there.

Anonymous said...

Threatening to turn off the taps is a bullying tactic. You can't give in to bullies. If BC did, what happens next time Alberta wants BC to do something? Will Alberta threaten us again, and will BC roll over again? Whether you are for or against pipelines, you can't give in to a threat.