Isn’t this a wonderful government that we have in Canada?
They just rescued the Kinder Morgan Trans Mountain Pipeline from being abandoned and by using our taxpayer money, now you get to be a “proud owner” of this important piece of infrastructure.
Somebody has figured out that you will own 5.87 centimetres of the line worth about $124.00.
Now mind you the government is going to pay Kinder Morgan $4.5 billion for just the existing pipeline and facilities, the cost of building the extension will be additional.
That does not mean that the pipeline extension will actually become a reality, as the B.C. Government is just as adamant as they were before that they do not want the pipeline.
They say they are concerned about a tanker spill.
They contend a spill of bitumen from Alberta’s oil sands would be much worse to clean up than a spill of ordinary crude.
The idea that there is a high risk of a tanker spill is just a red herring.
They have been taking crude from that facility since 1953 without a problem so why the concern now with modern tankers that are much safer? Seems strange that tankers bringing crude into the country are much safer than tankers that take crude away from the country.
Kinder Morgan has estimated that the cost of building the extension would be $7.4 billion.
Governments are very inefficient when it comes to managing any kind of a business.
For example, when the Federal Government owned Trans Canada Airways and Canadian National Railways they always lost money and had to be subsidized, now both corporate-owned entities are profitable.
Can you imagine what it will cost to construct the $7.4 billion pipeline extension with government in charge of the construction?
You can be sure it will be much higher, maybe up to 50% higher so your 5.87 centimetres of pipeline will cost you closer to $350.00.
Federal Finance Minister Bill Morneau has stated that government will look for a private sector buyer for the pipeline when it is completed.
I do not trust this Liberal Government and do not believe for one minute that is what they will do.
Other people that I have spoken with agree with me.
We think that if the Liberals stay in power they will use that pipeline to control Alberta’s energy policy.
It will be another national energy plan, similar to what Trudeau # 1 did in 1980.
It is not that long ago since Justin Trudeau stated in a speech in Eastern Canada that the Oil Sands needed to be phased out.
What better way to create leverage for control of Alberta’s energy resources.
Trudeau and Notley could have put enough pressure on Horgan to force him to back down but they didn’t have the political will do it.
When John Horgan changed tactics and said he was going to take the issue to court Notley immediately withdrew her wine ban.
Did she think his change of tactics meant she had won?
That action told Horgan that Notley was just making threats so that she had the appearance of being serious.
She should have told him the wine ban comes off when the line is under construction.
Same thing with Trudeau, he has promised B.C. over $5 billion for various infrastructure programs.
He could have told B.C. no money till the pipeline is built.
Horgan knew he was in the driver’s seat when Trudeau refused to do that. Due to Notley and Trudeau’s lack of resolve, we get to be “proud owners” of a pipeline.
Purchasing Kinder Morgan’s assets does not mean the pipeline will get built.
This refusal to build pipelines is all about the idea that pipelines contribute to man-made climate change.
Common sense will tell you that man has as much chance to change the climate as he has to control the lava flow from the volcano eruption on the big island in Hawaii.
by Herman Schwenk
