The last nail on the coffin. The last straw that broke the camel’s back. The end of the road. Painting yourself in a corner. Point of no return. Digging your own grave. Biting off more than PM Justin Trudeau can chew.
There are no idioms enough to express how the Canadian taxpayer feels about being held hostage from the “purchase” of the Kinder Morgan pipeline. It had disaster written all over it from the get go. No amount of cursing can express the disgust and revulsion Canadians feel about the Trudeau federal government that has made itself a sad hostage to a Texas-based pipeline company known for its frugality, and Canada has given it $4.5 billion as a life vest. And it’s not even a Canadian company worthy of saving, but a multi-million American capitalist. Instead of throwing in the towel and letting Kinder Morgan pack it in, the Trudeau government encourages it to fight, and fight the Canadians it did. Worse, Kinder Morgan has the Canadian government on its side, instead of it taking our side. They’re making a killing out of us and out of our taxes.
What most people don’t know is that the reason why the Trudeau government had to bite the bullet is because Kinder Morgan doesn’t want to spend the money it needs to invest in a high-risk $7.4 billion pipeline, and has been looking for a way out in the last few months that it has been “negotiating” with Canada. It has blamed project delays on the B.C. government as well as First Nations and citizen and activist groups’ resistance to the pipeline.
Kinder Morgan grabbed Trudeau by the collar and delivered a Texas-sized ransom note that demanded to bail them out or they walk. Trudeau, a smiling hostage, declared the construction of the megaproject a matter of “national interest” — without an independent cost-benefit analysis from any notable organization, or consultation from any other agency.
With their tail between their legs, Trudeau and his cohorts run and then whip up a brilliant plan, and gives 36 million Canadians the tab for their mess. Of course, Alberta Premiere and Kinder Morgan cheerleader Rachel Notley approves, and waves her pompoms in the air for the seemingly idiot-proof plan. She defends the move as one that would help the economy and provide jobs – and that’s only 15,000 jobs in the next two years. Now that Canadians have to pay for it, I wonder if she’s still thinking that it’s worth the stares as she walks on the streets. While BC is still digging its heels in the sand, Notley is popping the cork. British Columbians are thinking, if Alberta wants it so bad, let them pay for it. Better yet, let Notley pay for it.
$4.5 billion would pay for a lot of things more important. Universal childcare, extended healthcare, national housing program, affordable housing, just to name a few, was on the planning block. Now, I guess we trash those because we just bought a pipeline. Bill Morneau claims Canadians can benefit from this because it would be resold to some groups, including the indigenous people and the Canadian Pension Plan – two groups that would gain nothing from investing in this nightmare. The indigenous people are already protesting the whole thing, and the elderly don’t need oil – they need money to enjoy their retirement. Morneau’s inability to lie through his nose is pitiful, and his attempt to defend the decision of his government is truly lamentable, and his lackluster press conference just shows how he has realized he just shot himself in the foot for taking on the task of lying to the whole country.
No one could be kinder to Kinder Morgan but the Trudeau Liberal government, because the latter has forgotten that it should be serving its people, not the big companies like KM. It can’t save its own hide from the unwise decision it has made, and the result of its decision will be felt in the generations to come, be it the environmental or financial consequences. Trudeau and the Liberal government has definitely cut its own throat and is trying to save a dead duck, but once Kinder Morgan is built, it would cook Canada’s goose.
