Roy Green: Is Canada a nation or a notion? - Global News | Canada News Media
Connect with us

News

Roy Green: Is Canada a nation or a notion? – Global News

Published

 on


It was two days before Christmas 2018 when New Brunswick Premier Blaine Higgs, in a live interview with me, spoke of the need to determine if Canada is a nation or a notion.

More than one year, one Alberta and one federal election later, the question not only lingers, but has increased in scope and significance.

READ MORE: Kenney says Trudeau government sank Teck mine with deadline change, but Ottawa says ‘not true’

At the time of my interview with Premier Higgs, he had just attended his first national premiers meeting. The Energy East pipeline project was still of sufficient national interest at that time that its need and possible feasibility entered the conversation.

So did the equalization formula and Quebec’s growing entitlement to receiving increasing billions of annual equalization dollars while simultaneously that province, through its Premier Francois Legault, bluntly shuttered all talk of any new Quebec-crossing pipeline construction linking the Alberta oilsands with refineries in New Brunswick.

Story continues below advertisement






2:01
Teck mine dumped, rail blockades, and carbon tax ruling: Trudeau’s challenges


Teck mine dumped, rail blockades, and carbon tax ruling: Trudeau’s challenges

Much has changed.

Next week, as the nation’s premiers meet with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Alberta Premier Jason Kenney will raise the need for change to the current equalization formula and demand the federal government support, instead of impede, development of the energy sector in his province.

Trudeau dragged his heels on delivering federal support for the $20-billion-plus Teck Frontier oilsands mine in Alberta, causing the company to walk away after spending more than $1 billion to meet environmental assessment and regulatory requirements, as well as garnering support from all First Nations directly to be affected.

Trudeau’s distaste for the oilsands is clear and was spoken to directly by the prime minister in a town hall meeting televised nationally.

LISTEN BELOW: The Roy Green show from March 2

Yet China, the world’s greatest emitter climate-impacting pollution, forges onward building massive new coal-powered energy plants.

How does the Trudeau government respond? By challenging Beijing vigorously? Not so much. Instead, Ottawa greenlighted China National Offshore Oil Corp’s (CNOOC) exploration in the waters off the Newfoundland and Labrador coast.

The government of Newfoundland and Labrador is welcoming the development and why wouldn’t it? The provincial natural resources minister said, “this means jobs created for the people of our province and growth in our oil and gas industry.”

Story continues below advertisement

Alberta’s oilsands, though, retain Ottawa’s pariah designation as jobs and billions upon billions of dollars are lost not only to Alberta’s treasury but also to all of Canada and our complex and expensive social infrastructure.

Energy to be produced by state of the art Canadian technology, then shipped to nations without the infrastructure or tech to match, means natural resources will remain in the ground.

Last weekend, I spoke on air with Laura Lau of Brompton Corp. in Toronto. Lau manages some $2 billion in assets and spoke of the withdrawal of the Teck Frontier mine initiative as the perhaps last nail in the coffin of investor oilsands development interest.

That’s not all, of course.

Most recently, rail line blockades and interruption of vital national commerce have been allowed to proceed at great cost to Canada by Trudeau’s “timid” response to law-breaking — “timid” was the assessment of University of Saskatchewan professor and Indigenous issues expert Ken Coates on air. Not just once, but twice and on successive weeks.

Story continues below advertisement

COMMENTARY: If Canada is a nation of laws, we should enforce them, Roy Green says

There will be much to challenge the premiers and prime minister at their meeting. Trudeau will be lobbied to remove his government’s imposed carbon tax until the Supreme Court of Canada decides whether Ottawa has the constitutional power to so decide. Kenney will have the Alberta Court of Appeal on his side, as the court just days ago decided the federal government overstepped with its carbon tax imposition.

Add to the above that for decades, provincial trade barriers impeded national economic cooperation and growth.

Is Canada a nation or a notion?

LISTEN BELOW: Blaine Higgs on Roy Green’s show in December 2018

Roy Green is the host of the Roy Green Show on the Global News Radio network.

Listen to the latest from the Roy Green Show

Subscribe to the Roy Green Show Podcast now at Apple Podcast or Google Play

© 2020 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

Let’s block ads! (Why?)



Source link

News

End of Manitoba legislature session includes replacement-worker ban, machete rules

Published

 on

WINNIPEG – Manitoba politicians are expected to pass several bills into law before the likely end of legislature session this evening.

The NDP government, with a solid majority of seats, is getting its omnibus budget bill through.

It enacts tax changes outlined in the spring budget, but also includes unrelated items, such as a ban on replacement workers during labour disputes.

The bill would also make it easier for workers to unionize, and would boost rebates for political campaign expenses.

Another bill expected to pass this evening would place new restrictions on the sale of machetes, in an attempt to crack down on crime.

Among the bills that are not expected to pass this session is one making it harder for landlords to raise rents above the inflation rate.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 7, 2024

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.



Source link

Continue Reading

News

Father charged with second-degree murder in infant’s death: police

Published

 on

A Richmond Hill, Ont., man has been charged with second-degree murder in the death of his seven-week-old infant earlier this year.

York Regional Police say they were contacted by the York Children’s Aid Society about a child who had been taken to a hospital in Toronto on Jan. 15.

They say the baby had “significant injuries” that could not be explained by the parents.

The infant died three days later.

Police say the baby’s father, 30, was charged with second-degree murder on Oct. 23.

Anyone with more information on the case is urged to contact investigators.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 7, 2024.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.



Source link

Continue Reading

News

Ontario fast-tracking several bills with little or no debate

Published

 on

TORONTO – Ontario is pushing through several bills with little or no debate, which the government house leader says is due to a short legislative sitting.

The government has significantly reduced debate and committee time on the proposed law that would force municipalities to seek permission to install bike lanes when they would remove a car lane.

It also passed the fall economic statement that contains legislation to send out $200 cheques to taxpayers with reduced debating time.

The province tabled a bill Wednesday afternoon that would extend the per-vote subsidy program, which funnels money to political parties, until 2027.

That bill passed third reading Thursday morning with no debate and is awaiting royal assent.

Government House Leader Steve Clark did not answer a question about whether the province is speeding up passage of the bills in order to have an election in the spring, which Premier Doug Ford has not ruled out.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 7, 2024.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.



Source link

Continue Reading

Trending

Exit mobile version