Guest Column by Darrell Dunn, Editor, The Weekly Bean
It was just announced that Steven Guibeault has resigned from the cabinet of the current Liberal government in protest over the recent efforts of Prime Minister Carney to readjust the dynamic and balance of what has become a deeply fractured Canadian federation. Over the last 10 years, this country, which has always been a challenge to govern in any circumstance, has been thrown into what can legitimately be called a “Crisis of the Federation”. Sadly, and incredibly, just four people were at the very heart of this effort based on pure hubris.
While the Canadian Federation has always endured regional and topical stresses, the last decade has seen a federal government who by style, language and policy has done incredible damage to Canadian unity. Canada’s DNA has, from the start, demanded the balancing of unique regional interests and aspirations along with “national” issues affecting everyone in order to move forward.
The two central issues were climate action and economic impact, both of which are, in fact, important. However, the Liberal team of Justine Trudeau, Gerald Butts, Catherine McKenna and, finally, Steven Guilbeault, by ideological and philosophical predisposition attacked the issue as a moral and social-equity absolute. If you didn’t agree with their take on the issue, the required action response (in their opinion), or acceptance of the economic/social impact and cost of dramatic action, then you simply did not understand the importance of the issue.
Put simply, all hydro-carbons are bad and their production must be stopped. Any action that produces greenhouse gases must be stopped. Hydro-carbon production and related industrialization is morally wrong and contributes directly to social inequity. The fact that Canada produces less than 1.5% of greenhouse gas emissions, and even is it was all stopped today, would have literally no impact on the overall situation; the fact that Western Canada and it’s people would be inordinately impacted both financially and socially; the fact that Western Canadian petro money pays incredible amounts of tax support for hospitals, schools, infrastructure and eastern Canadian equalization is of little consequence.
To add insult to injury, the language all four of these people was stridently superior, condescending, morally hectoring and blatant virtual-signaling. The only legitimate opinions were theirs and the political/economic consequences of their program not only was ineffective, but economically and political disastrous, particularly for Western Canada.
It is good their hands are not directly on the levers of power anymore.
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