Oil Spills And Canadian Voters

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Justin Trudeau’s statement that “Canada is a country of the rule of law and the federal government will act in the national interest,” seems to be challenging the constitution, which allows Canadians to vote for one party in provinces and territories where they live and a different party for Ottawa, the seat of the national government and the Prime Minister.

Prime Minister Trudeau’s quote on Twitter was about Kinder Morgan, the Texas-based company that moves crude oil from Canada to the U.S. in what is known as the Trans Mountain pipeline.  The oil, which the company calls the ‘product’ passes through British Columbia, one of the Canadian provinces.
Kinder Morgan is in the process of expanding the pipeline and related infrastructure such as pump stations and storage terminals.  The national government in Ottawa gave the expansion its blessing just before Christmas in 2016, so did the Alberta provincial government headed by Premier Rachel Notley. 

However, British Columbia is totally against the Trans Mountain Expansion Project.  Canada’s First Nations in the province are on the same page as Premier John Horgan’s government.  Alberta and the Prime Minister use the standard capitalism reason for the project, jobs and the economy. 
British Columbia and First Nations have visions of oil spills, oil terminals going up in smoke, the destruction of a way of life that relies on plants and wildlife and the sign, irreparable.  Gold, copper, diamonds and oil production do not have an inbuilt mechanism to restore the earth to its original state, after all the products are extracted from the ground, or mother earth as First Nations call it.

This brings us to the national interest.  What is Canada’s national interest when the constitution provides for different interests?  British Columbia doesn’t want the Trans Mountain Expansion Project.  Alberta does, because it is an oil province.  Justin Trudeau does, because it is one of his campaign promises. 
Kinder Morgan wants one thing: protecting investors’ interests.  They like the idea that an expanded Trans Mountain will carry 890,000 barrels of oil (the product) a day, as compared to the 300,000 it currently transports. That is profit and more money.  Environmental groups such as Greenpeace and Save the Arctic, might not like Kinder Morgan but they respect it for being upfront about why it is in the oil business.

Kinder Morgan admits that the interprovincial disagreements are affecting operations on the ground. That is why they announced in April that they will stop non-essential work on the expansion of the Trans Mountain pipeline.

First Nations groups can breathe a temporary sign of relief but it is not victory by any chance.  Protests about the pipeline expansion are splattered all over the internet like a Picasso painting.  That is why Kinder Morgan issued a statement about halting non-essential services.

Anybody against the Trans Mountain Project Expansion should not uncork the champagne because victory will only be achieved when Kinder Morgan stops ‘essential’ services and Prime Minister Trudeau stops threatening British Columbia and First Nations with upholding the ‘rule of law.’

By: Nonqaba waka Msimang.

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