Dear Diary: The Golden Goose is dead

Dear Diary:

One recalls how, many years ago, Ted Morton of the University of Calgary and later a highly-competent Alberta Finance Minister, described his province’s federal dilemma: “The Liberals ignore Alberta because they can’t win there; the Tories ignore it because they can’t lose there.” To which someone replied, “yes but at least when the Tories are in power, the beatings stop.”

The beatings have resumed.

Reeling from the combination of low oil prices and the suicidal decision – fuelled by a psychosis induced by loathing for the cynical, smug, corrupt Alberta PC party – to elect an NDP government which just introduced a tax on everything, Alberta will soon have lost 100,000 jobs, auto sales are down 11% and housing prices have similarly tumbled. No doubt about it – the Golden Goose is cooked.

So, what consoling words did our freshly minted Natural Resources Minister have in expressing his concern for the economic slaughter occurring there? None, really, other than indicating it was going to get worse and that he understood their anxiety – presumably in the way one empathizes with cattle heading for the abattoir.

–        On that note, we wondered this week, having seen nothing in the popular press beyond rhetoric to remind us what facts are used to support Canada committing economic suicide in order to save the world from evolving. Canada represent’s 1.7% of global emissions and the oilsands account for precisely 0.15% of that same total. This, Dear Diary, is the Inconvenient Truth. Which is why you wont see it reported.

–        One wonders how poor Lloyd Axworthy is feeling this week after taking a run at Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall for raising perfectly sensible concerns regarding Our Great Leader’s plan to bring 25,000 Syrian refugees by year’s end. Axworthy indicated that Wall, among the last competent premiers of a province of consequence, was in over his head. As it turns out it was someone else who was in over his head when, just before flying off to visit the Queen, his leader completely bailed on the plan to bring 25,000 by year’s end, pretty much following Wall’s advice to a T and implementing the Chris Alexander and Jason Kenney plan. We await Axworthy’s clarification on whose head is in over what.

–        The thigh-slapper of the week, so far, is the narrow definition of “vulnerable” groups of refugees. While expressing concern for the LBGTQetc community, no mention of the Jews and Christians – the two prime targets selected for genocide in that part of the world was made. Indeed, Liberal MP Arif Virani, appearing on Power & Politics, went so far as express some righteousness on this point, inferring with a sneer that our new leaders, unlike the old ones, wouldn’t be singling “groups” (and we all know who they are) out for special treatment. This bristled the feathers of Conservative MP Michel Rempel who demanded to know what was wrong with protecting people from genocide but even she could not actually spit out the words “Christians” or “Jews,” leaving the average viewer confused. Obviously the new political rules are in place. There are faiths that dare not speak their name.

–        Speaking of religion, favorite quote so far goes to Chad Rogers of Crestview Strategies who – also on P&P in speaking of climate change, stated “everyone believes in it.” Belief, of course, is not science – it is theology. And public policy based on theology, as opposed to science and data, is representative of a theocracy. So, at least we’re now all clear concerning the era we’re living in.

–        Emboldened by the success of their theology and aided by the nation’s unquestioning and supplicant media, The Sierra Club has officially labelled Quebec’s Hydro Power “dirty.” Given the Quebec government’s assistance in slaughtering Canada’s Golden Goose (see above), we are, Dear Diary, chuckling.

–        We think our Glorious Leader may be accused of telling his first fib in London when he explained that the Queen’s portrait had been quickly removed and replaced by a landscape because the previous government, in mounting the Queen’s portrait, did so because it did not like art or artists.Sigh. How does one put this? Oh, I know. Bullshit.

–        Best line of the week goes to the anonymous wag who, when observing representatives of Big Oil lining up to embrace Comrade Notley’s announced tax on everything, noted that their humiliated ambiance notley_jpg_size_xxlarge_letterbox

was ever so reminiscent of pictures of North Koreans at a state parade.

–        Most continent TV appearance goes to PEI Premier Wade MacLauchlan who, when fed the standard opportunity to express his outrage of the Islamophobia CBC believes is sweeping the nation, simply said he understood that from time to time people say things when they are frightened or nervous. Wow. A grownup.

–  Krazy with a K, kookoo for kokopuffs quote of the week goes to the Pembina Institute. Faced with news that Albertans might have to foot the bill for the destruction of the coal industry,  Pembina went all-out commie in its response when Chris Severson-Baker, its Alberta director at the Pembina Institute, said the very idea plant operators should have to “pay all of the polluters” whom he no doubt agrees with his pal David Suzuki are akin to slave owners, is just “not a reasonable expectation.” Atta boy, Chris. Let the ruling classes tremble. Canadians have nothing to lose but their chains.