The Progressive Conservative Party of Alberta has held onto power for the past 40 years because of the lingering resentment over the harmful effects of the National Energy Program and the role the Liberal Party/federal government played in the whole fiasco. The National Energy Program also directly led to the creation of the Reform Party of Canada which mutated into the current Conservative Party of Canada. Mr. Harper and Ms. Redford both owe their political existence to the resentment that stemmed from Central Canada attempting to exploit Alberta.
It’s ironic now that Alberta and the federal government are attempting to do the same to B.C. in regards to the Northern Gateway Pipeline. Ms. Redford even stated on national television that “This is not British Columbia’s coast, it’s Canada’s coast,” I wonder how Albertan’s would react if Quebec’s premier said the same thing on national TV about Alberta’s oil? Rage and indignation would be a good guess.
Make no doubt about it, the Northern Gateway Pipeline is the Harper government’s National Energy Program moment. It’s been shown the benefactors of this project are Alberta, Ontario and China. B.C. takes all the risk and gets some scraps. We lose. The only difference is if approved, this disaster can’t be undone with the stroke of a pen like the NEP. Maybe our member of Parliament could pass the message on to his bosses. If they run rough shot over B.C.’s interests and approve this disaster they’re finished in this province. Of course, given the silence of Mr Albas on this issue, I suspect he already knows this.
Cody Young
Penticton