Scorching the earth with Christy Clark

British Columbia Premier Christy Clark has left more than a few political observers shaking their heads with her rather pugnacious debate with her counterpart Alison Redford of Alberta, the two Premiers clearly at polar opposites on the nature of transporting Alberta's resources to a port, any port in British Columbia.

Ms. Clark, spent about fifteen minutes with Madame Redford on Tuesday, exiting her session with the Alberta Premier to declare that the reception and discussion was "frosty and very short", hardly enough time we imagine to go over Premier Clark's five conditions for support.

One can't imagine why, as Ms. Clark has seemingly gone out of her way to poke the Alberta bear repeatedly over what it is going to take to move oil or bitumen through BC towards those thirsty Asian markets.

In fact, when your opening line to the conversation is to declare that there is no way that British Columbia will support this proposal, well, there's not more to ask one imagines than to wonder when the Premier's plane is scheduled to depart.

With Premier Clark seemingly giving an eye towards Alberta Royalties, or at least not reassuring her Alberta counterpart that those monies are not on her radar, the Albertan's will no doubt be rather suspicious of the BC Premier's motives and her veiled threats.

The current talking point seems to be that Premier Clark, aware of just how unpopular the Northern Gateway proposal is at the moment, is using that as a political tool, no doubt hoping to pick up votes from those in the regions impacted most.

The problem is, as more than a few political observers have noted is that the Premier doesn't seem particularly consistent on the whole pipeline discussion (such as it is), one day she rules out a provincial tax on the pipeline in BC, the next she gives thought to consideration of it.

It's no wonder that the Premier of Alberta is tad confused over where her would be partner in pipeline development is from day to day.

The use of the pipeline and the movement of resources to world markets as a political tool, probably isn't going to win the BC Premier any fans east of the Rocky Mountains, but with a government that is dwindling in popularity by the day, it may be her last gasp gambit to reverse the BC Liberals woeful polling status of late.

Nation building this clearly isn't, bringing the relations between the two normally friendly western provinces to the point of open hostility.

But in politics, desperate politicians will lay waste to much in a bid to keep office, in the case of the Premier, even wrapping herself in an environmental and parochial flag may not be enough to stave of electoral defeat in May of next year.

One thing is certain, while she doesn't have a vote, we imagine that Premier Redford will be watching the BC election results quite carefully next year, anxious to find someone in Victoria more inclined towards conversation rather than opportunism. Leaving the cause of good neighbours to the post election period we imagine, providing Alberta hasn't built a fence by that time.

She clearly won't find much relief on the Northern Gateway file from NDP leader Adrian Dix, who would appear to not be the biggest booster of the Northern Gateway proposals, though, to his credit, Dix is not quite as belligerent as his Liberal counterpart in the province is.

The NDP leader may not be inclined to the snarky back and forth, but we suspect that any Gateway plans through Northern BC will be off the table for the NDP, regardless of any incentives from the other side of the mountains.

There is however a leader to the east, one steeped in the left of the political spectrum hat may offer a transit point for Alberta oil.

Interestingly enough, NDP and Official Opposition Leader Thomas Mulcair is waving a flag at Alberta suggesting that Redford take her Alberta resources east, a project that would provide revenue for Alberta and keep their royalties in place as they are .

It also may just offer her some time to sort things out on her relationship with BC, that while her neighbours to the west figure out where they want to be when it comes to resource development and the transportation of it.



Vancouver Province-- Clark's handling of pipeline debate not convincing voters
Vancouver Province-- Premier Clark picks another fight over Alberta pipeline
Vancouver Sun-- Clark would do well not to take natural gas plans to the bank
Vancouver Sun-- Clark's ever-more-ambitious natural gas plans bump up against discouraging reality
Vancouver Sun-- Christy Clark continues to press for revenue from Northern Gateway pipeline
Vancouver Sun-- Pipeline impasse remains after Clark, Redford hold 'frosty' meeting
Vancouver Sun-- Northern Gateway hit from all sides
Globe and Mail-- You heard it here: Northern Gateway's dead
Globe and Mail-- 'Frosty' meeting between Clark and Redford
Globe and Mail-- The Gateway gap: B. C. and the oil patch stumble into silence
CBC-- Redford, Clark make little progress at 'frosty' meeting
Calgary Herald-- 'Chump change' remark another Christy Clark classic
Calgary Herald-- B. C. Premier calls Northern Gateway benefits 'chump change'...
Calgary Herald-- Premiers meeting on Northern Gateway pipeline turns 'frosty'
Calgary Herald-- Breaking the ice