Fort McMurray MP says Ottawa will fuel Wexit movement if Teck is killed

The federal government seems poised to push back the approval of the Teck mine yet again, despite Teck having been judged as being in “the public interest” by a review panel established by the Minister of Environment and Climate Change. Regardless, the pursuit of further consultations may cause divestment from the project.

The federal government has seemingly been maneuvering themselves into a position to end the project, going as far as to plan a potential aid package for Alberta if and when Teck falls through.

The federal government’s stated concern with the project is the Teck mine’s impact on the Trudeau Liberal government’s pledge to reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. 

In essence, Canada will miss out on a large energy project so the Liberals can attempt to achieve an unrealistic political victory. If this were not purely political, they would not have ignored their review panel and tried to obfuscate the economic benefits through financial aid.

Alberta’s Environment and Park’s Minister, Jason Nixon, rejected the backup plan of an aid package saying that Alberta wouldn’t accept a “charity handout” in exchange for real economic development.

Nixon went onto state that, “Teck is not a political gift…It deserves to be approved on its own merits.” to get across the fact that the federals are merely standing in the way of Teck and not making well-reasoned arguments against its approval.

Federal Finance Minister Bill Morneau tried to reassure Albertans saying, “We’re working on how we can create opportunity in parts of the country that have the need for increased job opportunities,” although it seems to have yet to cross his mind that the $20.6 billion private energy project won’t provide a wealth of job opportunities for Alberta and Canada at large.

David Yurdiga, MP for Fort McMurray – Cold Lake, warned that Teck being killed off by further federal regulation, consultation, and 11th-hour decisions would exasperate western alienation and potentially help fuel a real separation movement.

Yurdiga said, “Albertans will not accept a “no” decision from the federal government regarding the Frontier oil sands project. If the federal government tries blocking a project that has gone through 10 years of regulatory process, that has been approved by both the federal and provincial regulators and has overcome every hurdle, Albertans will have to decide if we should be part of a nation that continues to attack our ability to develop our resources and create jobs.”

It is hard to argue how aid packages and Liberal climate politics in place of economic development and jobs for Alberta can’t be seen as an overt slap in the face. Alberta isn’t asking for anything but project approval. The province is not begging for federal dollars.

The situation is getting almost beyond parody. It is as if Trudeau’s Liberal government is somehow secretly pro-Wexit and wants to fuel the movement by being directly hostile to the Alberta economy, and the dignity of Albertans by offering financial assistance in place of real jobs.

Fundamentally, the Liberals are not doing the same pro and con evaluation on the Teck mine project. They are playing a power-game with the west where might equal right.

They see the Teck mine as a victory for the Alberta United Conservatives, so the federal Liberals have to ruin in to score some points on their provincial opponents.

No wonder western separatism polls are so high these days.