Editor:
When the oil prices were high the province of Alberta contributed $4700 in equalization payments to every man, woman and child to the Canadian welfare provinces. This includes all of the Maritime provinces and especially the welfare province of Quebec. Pierre Elliot Trudeau made sure that the province of Quebec would receive the highest equalization of payments of all the provinces. Quebec with all its natural resources has never since confederation managed its economy. Why should they when the politicians of central Canada would make sure that they would receive taxpayers money from the rest of Canada. Also Pierre Elliot Trudeau, fuddle duddle him, started Canada on a debit ridden country. Succeeding prime ministers did not correct the problem. It was easier to borrow money and look like political heroes than it was to be financially responsible to the Canadian taxpayer.
You hear the politicians saying what a great country Canada is and so do I, but listening to the media elected Prince of Ottawa vetoing pipelines, he should check the constitution. Prime ministers do not have the right to veto such as the American president, who abused this right when he vetoed the Keystone XL pipeline. Alberta is having a difficult time coping with the slumping oil prices and the loss of thousands of jobs.
This is the time for the media prince in Ottawa to stop pipeline bashing. Now the mayor of Montreal is also jumping on the band wagon. More road blocks for the province of Alberta. Also our Premier Christy Clark is also throwing up road blocks. Which I'm totally disappointed in. How would she react if Alberta stops any oil, now coming from B.C. into Alberta.
The Canadian government implemented a system or process by which all proposed infrastructures which come under its jurisdiction is studied and either approved or sent back to the proponent until all the criteria for a safe project is met.
The prime minister, the premiers, the mayors and the First Nations do not have a veto to overturn or stop any development that was approved by the Federal Government. The natives must be meaningfully consulted.
This is Canada one of our provinces is having a difficult time. If this was the province of Quebec the media prince would be there with wheel barrows of Canadian taxpayers money, which we would all pay for later, just to avoid any negative media attention.
If the media prince wants to divide this country he is starting in the right direction. Cancel job creating projects, borrow billions of dollars to make his media circus look good, that we as taxpayers will have to repay in the future.
Garry Hemmerling
Burns Lake, B.C.