Posturing in Bad Faith
Ugh, politicians. We elect them and ‘trust’ that they will administer in the best interests of the country and the people who elected them. Although, when they turn out to be really truly lousy administrators no one will ever admit to having voted for them. The thing of it is, there erupts on the scene from time to time a politician who earns the respect of their electorate by sincerity, hard work and determination. Unfortunately there aren’t too many of them around.
On the other hand, the politician who garners a good reputation and has the support of his/her constituents isn’t doing the country or those whom he/she represents justice, if governing is done in a vacuum, as though neighbours or economic partners don’t exist to whom accountability is due. In Canada an illogically stupid situation prevails whereby trade barriers are set up between provinces making it awkward when not downright difficult to do business with a neighbouring province.
Provincial governments protecting their industries and local economies, and trade unions doing their utmost to put up barriers to deter easy trade between provincial borders. The situation is so absurd that it becomes easier for a province in Canada to effect trade with an adjoining state in the United States and that’s quite simply insane. We have a free trade agreement with the United States that breaks down barriers to easy trade, but not inter-provincially.
We have a situation where it’s difficult to have one’s professional accreditation recognized from province to province. Where there’s a variation in academic credits. Where universal health insurance provisions can differ from province to province. Where production and industry standards don’t match, province to province. Talk about deliberate lack of co-operation in the interests of shutting out competition and in the end doing no one any good.
Yet the provincial premiers talk up a good line about inter-provincial co-operation, as though they’re sincere in making a long-overdue effort to achieve consanguinity in trade and the economy, health and education. At the just-concluded annual provincial premiers’ meeting in New Brunswick the highlight of the meeting was to be a general agreement on how to battle climate-change, to gain a consensus on workable measures to ameliorate the corrupted atmosphere surrounding us - in every conceivable manner.
Predictably, each premier went on the record defending their own province’s need to continue emitting high carbon levels, linked to the prosperity of their singular province. They are joined in a union, representing the country at large, yet none of them can see beyond their own selfish interests in their own bailiwicks. Alberta’s oil sands projects exact a dreadful toll on the environment, with greater levels of carbon emissions yet to come, but Premier Ed Stelmach takes exception to singling Alberta out for a special hit.
As for Ontario’s Dalton McGuinty and his promise to bite a bitter pill in exchange for Alberta’s agreement to lower carbon emissions or/and sign on to a carbon tax knowing full well that Alberta would stand back, and Ontario would never have to make good on its tentative offer to implement a California-style auto emission standard, he’s fairly contemptible. It's simply that the implementation of auto emission standards would add an awkward additional hefty charge to standard vehicle prices, handily dampening the industry. Short term visions prevail.
The next meeting of premiers and territorial leaders will take place in Quebec City, July of 2008. Why bother?
On the other hand, the politician who garners a good reputation and has the support of his/her constituents isn’t doing the country or those whom he/she represents justice, if governing is done in a vacuum, as though neighbours or economic partners don’t exist to whom accountability is due. In Canada an illogically stupid situation prevails whereby trade barriers are set up between provinces making it awkward when not downright difficult to do business with a neighbouring province.
Provincial governments protecting their industries and local economies, and trade unions doing their utmost to put up barriers to deter easy trade between provincial borders. The situation is so absurd that it becomes easier for a province in Canada to effect trade with an adjoining state in the United States and that’s quite simply insane. We have a free trade agreement with the United States that breaks down barriers to easy trade, but not inter-provincially.
We have a situation where it’s difficult to have one’s professional accreditation recognized from province to province. Where there’s a variation in academic credits. Where universal health insurance provisions can differ from province to province. Where production and industry standards don’t match, province to province. Talk about deliberate lack of co-operation in the interests of shutting out competition and in the end doing no one any good.
Yet the provincial premiers talk up a good line about inter-provincial co-operation, as though they’re sincere in making a long-overdue effort to achieve consanguinity in trade and the economy, health and education. At the just-concluded annual provincial premiers’ meeting in New Brunswick the highlight of the meeting was to be a general agreement on how to battle climate-change, to gain a consensus on workable measures to ameliorate the corrupted atmosphere surrounding us - in every conceivable manner.
Predictably, each premier went on the record defending their own province’s need to continue emitting high carbon levels, linked to the prosperity of their singular province. They are joined in a union, representing the country at large, yet none of them can see beyond their own selfish interests in their own bailiwicks. Alberta’s oil sands projects exact a dreadful toll on the environment, with greater levels of carbon emissions yet to come, but Premier Ed Stelmach takes exception to singling Alberta out for a special hit.
As for Ontario’s Dalton McGuinty and his promise to bite a bitter pill in exchange for Alberta’s agreement to lower carbon emissions or/and sign on to a carbon tax knowing full well that Alberta would stand back, and Ontario would never have to make good on its tentative offer to implement a California-style auto emission standard, he’s fairly contemptible. It's simply that the implementation of auto emission standards would add an awkward additional hefty charge to standard vehicle prices, handily dampening the industry. Short term visions prevail.
The next meeting of premiers and territorial leaders will take place in Quebec City, July of 2008. Why bother?
Labels: Politics of Convenience, Realities
posted by Pieface | 12:38 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home