Pipeline Follies: Harper Government Goes on the Offensive

By: David Coll

Another year and the energy story dominating the headlines should be no surprise – oil sands pipelines: specifically, Enbridge’s $5.5 billion northern gateway proposal and trans-Canada Pipelines’ $1.9 billion Keystone XL line.

On the eve of the gateway hearings, Natural Resources Minister Joe Oliver launched a broadside – in print and in person – against “environmental and other radical” opponents of the pipeline.

“These groups threaten to hijack our regulatory system to achieve their radical ideological agenda,” Oliver wrote in an open letter to Canadians. “They seek to exploit any loophole they can find, stacking public hearings with bodies to ensure that delays kill good projects. They use funding from foreign special interest groups to undermine Canada’s national economic interest.

“They attract jet-setting celebrities with some of the largest personal carbon footprints in the world to lecture Canadians not to develop our natural resources. Finally, if all other avenues have failed, they will take a quintessential American approach: sue everyone and anyone to delay the project even further.

“They do this because they know it can work. It works because it helps them to achieve their ultimate objective: delay a project to the point it becomes economically unviable.”

I agree whole-heartedly with Oliver’s comments and understand why the desire to set an emotional tone at the outset of hearings that will litter the media landscape with oil sands detritus and tarnish Canada’s international reputation for the next several years at a minimum.

Oliver concluded his diatribe with the assertion that the regulatory system is “broken” and that fixing it is an issue of “national interest” to Canadians.

Then a week later, during a sit-down with CBC’s Peter Mansbridge, Prime Minister Stephen Harper ratcheted the rhetoric up a notch with his comment that “certain” pipeline opponents in the U.S. “would like to see Canada be one giant national park.”

Clearly, the Harper Government – understanding what’s at stake for our economy and their political longevity if Keystone and gateway do not proceed in the most expedient manner possible – has decided to play offence instead of defence on this issue. The communication strategy appears to lean toward an appeal to emotion as opposed to focusing on dry, fact-based argument. The very fact the government is taking off the gloves points to how high the stakes really are in this battle.

Going on the offensive may garner headlines but I worry that playing the same game as the engos and the media on this sensitive topic may ultimately backfire for the government and industry. Forgive the sports analogy, but championships are won by teams that adapt to changes in the game – watch Moneyball for a great example of this concept – not those that merely emulate the style of their opponent.

The timing of Oliver’s comments was predictably slammed in the media, particularly on social media sites. Consider this comment from the Jan. 9 Vancouver Sun, “All that natural resources Minister Joe Oliver’s over-the-top attack achieved was to create an atmosphere of sympathy for those justifiably concerned about potential damage to B.C.’s coveted wilderness areas.”

As seriously, both Oliver’s and harper’s comments on the pipeline approval process have only heightened the distrust and deep suspicion of opponents who believe the system is ‘fixed’ in favour or proponents and firmly under political control and influence.

Oliver’s letter begins with the following statement: “For our government, the choice is clear: we need to diversify our markets in order to create jobs and economic growth for Canadians across this country. We must expand our trade with the fast growing Asian economies. We know that increasing trade will help ensure the financial security of Canadians and their families.”

When asked by Mansbridge if his government would accept a ‘no’ decision on gateway, harper said “ this government has in the past changed projects or even stopped projects if reviews were not favourable, or (the government) indicated that changes had to be made.”

For the record, a final decision rests with the independent joint review panel, though it appears the government could effectively ‘overrule’ a ‘no’ decision but only by introducing new legislation. Whatever happens, it’s going to be interesting to witness how harper’s offensive strategy ultimately plays out. In the immortal words of Terrell Owens, “getcha popcorn ready.”