Dear Editor
We in Canada have so much to be grateful for; a couple of examples would be an abundance of natural resources and a democracy that works – although not as fair as it could be and this is the issue I’d like to talk about.
When western Canada was invited to join the confederation it appears obvious that the east saw the west as a future supplier of raw material (natural resources) and so it’s been. History makes me feel the graciousness of that action hasn’t extended beyond the Manitoba-Ontario boarder.
Along comes Leduc No. 1, yuck, carbon fuel. Call it what you may, but it gave the west a printing machine that could only print cash. This gave our eastern master an enormous problem. With billions of dollars that would have come flooding into the west, this would create a power shift to the west. I mention only oil, but there is entered into the equation a number of natural resources, along with agriculture. Hence the west, like a young boy or girl, was quickly growing into adulthood in the family of confederation.
The challenge to reverse this financial power shift and keep it in the east was left up to none other than Prime Minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau. From the central power base in Ontario and Quebec this man was brilliant and he exercised this brilliance in the form of national energy policy. This was sold to the west as needed to secure this energy for all of Canada while they pick our pockets to the tune of billions, and so it is to this day.
We in the west are a resilient group and despite this monetary theft by Ottawa we continue to grow and expand financially and population-wise. Thus we remain somewhat of a threat to the eastern power base. Something must be done.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau goes to senior Trudeuu’s playbook and here comes a double hitter. Carbon tax and promised pipelines that will not likely be built under this administration. No pipelines to transport oil to tide water and our revenue gets cut by approximately $30 a barrel. How sweet, and the sales job continues.
Harry Zamonsky
North Battleford
