Dear Editor,
Here is a wakeup call to all the political parties feeding at the federal trough. The devil is in the details. I once watched a movie in 1976 that told the story of a child that was born into a family of political parents. The child grew up and his powerful aspirations almost changed the world. Comparisons were made at the time, but were they applicable?
I think by now each respected party believes Steven Harper’s plan of 17 per cent emission reduction would have been a sweeter pill to swallow and all you leaders would have had better reputations than today. And Canada would not be so far in debt, but that is the nature of the beast. The beast is untouchable and stays in the background allowing the provinces to take the rewards, but you also take the heat. I certainly hope this is not the case, but then every step of the way has been two faced. This federal carbon tax plan will quench two thirsts, it will erase decades of government downsizing and will only momentarily relieve the pain for Canada’s global carbon tax. It all began years ago when the Liberal party of Canada, acting on faulty scientific information challenged the entire world to global climatic change. Instead of cleaning up the world, it lead to a global carbon tax that backfired on us. Instead of taking the slow careful approach of the Harper government that would have allowed the face saving grace of all governing parties; most parties and the overwhelming voting horde of the east, chose to be seduced by the whirlwind charms of the now flamboyant feds. Time progressed, the arctic melted and the world proclaimed Canada a black footprint, because that melting ice was releasing volumes of methane. These ideas of international pipelines to improve our exports were Steven Harper’s legacy, but they have been twisted and revamped. Decades and decades with billions of dollars in technological changes, making our oil the cleanest, but also the most expensive on the planet and what has changed? The same European investors wait in the shadows, (BP and Royal Shell) this time for a bigger interest and multi-provincial (Sask.) control of our oil and the Americans who built it all are being pushed out of the market. When Harper had his turn, we received US military support for our backing of the Desert Storm war and two US presidents signed off on the pipeline. Then Obama backed by Clinton, reneged on the presidential deal, because it was a wholly owned Canadian pipeline headed for Chinese markets, with no value for the troubled States. British Columbia got their payment and Premier Notley got her platform; Alberta power companies will make the transition from coal (was not the issue) to gas. But this will not affect that black foot print in any way, so now that we have started our annual carbon tax payments to the rest of the world, we cannot stop until every last drop is gone.
“Gunter,” says you are showing your backbone, but I see an omen, I see how easily we were all globally manipulated and not for the betterment of Albertans. Have we been be-deviled?
W. Krechuniak
