Introducing the Maclean’s politics podcast. Each week, the Maclean’s politics team and Cormac MacSweeney sit down to hash out the week’s news in Ottawa. Expect incisive analysis and commentary, as well as interviews with the biggest newsmakers of the last seven days. This week, Cormac speaks with Natural Resources Minister Joe Oliver about Neil Young’s criticism of the oil sands, Paul considers John Baird’s demand for a decision on Keystone XL, and John and Aaron consider the NDP’s future, as well as the fate of the Canada Job Grant.
Cormac MacSweeney, Parliament Hill bureau chief for 1310 News
When are they going to take on “Big Photocopy” or “Big Latex” or the dreaded “Big Fabric”? You know, industries that exist to fulfill our demand for their products, like “Big Oil”.
Er, maybe cuz like big oil hasn’t always operated in the best public interest? And who says enviros and consumer orgs don’t call out other industries that misbehave? Getting the premise right is hard. Drawing specious conclusions not so much.
But you don’t mind those imported grapes and cheap products delivered from China courtesy of “Big Oil” eh? Or that trip to the Dominican? Or virtually every other aspect of our modern way of life?
Here’s what happens when “Big Oil” is forced out of the market ahead of natural market forces: the cost of energy skyrockets. Oh the rich folk will do just fine in that scenario, but untold suffering awaits the rest.
That’s not ideology, that’s math. Many roads to Hell have been paved with statists’ good intentions. Thank God the adults are in currently in charge. I shudder to think what untold havoc Trudeau and his army of unicorns would do to this country.
Actually I do my best to stay away from as much imported stuff as my budget allows. Proud Canadian me.
Keep it up why don’cha Biffer…us vs them; the right vs the left; the economy vs the environment . Polarizing issues is all you HarperCons got in the end.
Big oil needs some encouragement, some criticism to ring in the changes that are clearly needed. If if we’re left to the knuckle draggers like you nothing would ever change. Change doesn’t just happen. It never has.
Polarizing? Like comparing the tars sands to Hiroshima? Comparing AGW skeptics to Holocaust denier.
How completely rich.
Charles on
Anyone with any common sense knows a direct comparisan to Hiroshima is over the top… as with your second example. But this coming from a troll who pushes wedge politics with every single post he writes is more than a bit rich…completely!
kcm2 on
Nice feature. I hope you keep it going[i've always loved something about radio. Which this is, sorta]
Skipped the Joe O piece. The man is a walking talking point with just about nothing new to say about anything + he outright lies all the time.[imo anyway]
Good discussion about keystone, which is turning out to be a bizzaro politco soap opera.
Harper badly needs a big win. But he even when he gets one[ CETA] he muffs it. This is becoming a pattern. Being turned down on keystone will be a gift to Trudeau. So i can’t really agree the Liberals are blowing hot an cold on pipelines. Trudeau has definitely nailed his colours to the keystone mast and it wont be his fault if it falls through. Conversely he has tacked way from Gateway[ smart imo] but not said much about KM, which i suspect he will back eventually; at least, he will do nothing to oppose it.
Maybe Harper’s got a big comeback in him reminiscent of Trudeau circa 1980. But he’s got a lot of balls in the air right now. And they don’t all seem to be coming down where he thought they all would.
Neil Young (some quotes from Massey Hall speech): “…Leadership in Canada is a very poor imitation of the George Bush Administration in the US. … it’s an embarrassment to many Canadians …” http://www.daysofthecrazy-wild.com/video-watch-neil-young/
well, atleast He got that one right:
Harpo and Bush, just like our past, MulDummy and Reagan.
Great discussion. Who convinced you three to pose as an aging boy band? Paul appears to be the front man. John likely writes the songs and does the arrangements. Aaron looks like the introverted synth player who hates the sell=out the band has become.
When are they going to take on “Big Photocopy” or “Big Latex” or the dreaded “Big Fabric”? You know, industries that exist to fulfill our demand for their products, like “Big Oil”.
Charles on
When will they take on Little Oil and Big Mining.
Western Guy on
Er, maybe cuz like big oil hasn’t always operated in the best public interest? And who says enviros and consumer orgs don’t call out other industries that misbehave? Getting the premise right is hard. Drawing specious conclusions not so much.
kcm2 on
But you don’t mind those imported grapes and cheap products delivered from China courtesy of “Big Oil” eh? Or that trip to the Dominican? Or virtually every other aspect of our modern way of life?
Here’s what happens when “Big Oil” is forced out of the market ahead of natural market forces: the cost of energy skyrockets. Oh the rich folk will do just fine in that scenario, but untold suffering awaits the rest.
That’s not ideology, that’s math. Many roads to Hell have been paved with statists’ good intentions. Thank God the adults are in currently in charge. I shudder to think what untold havoc Trudeau and his army of unicorns would do to this country.
Charles on
Actually I do my best to stay away from as much imported stuff as my budget allows. Proud Canadian me.
Keep it up why don’cha Biffer…us vs them; the right vs the left; the economy vs the environment . Polarizing issues is all you HarperCons got in the end.
Big oil needs some encouragement, some criticism to ring in the changes that are clearly needed. If if we’re left to the knuckle draggers like you nothing would ever change. Change doesn’t just happen. It never has.
kcm2 on
Polarizing? Like comparing the tars sands to Hiroshima? Comparing AGW skeptics to Holocaust denier.
How completely rich.
Charles on
Anyone with any common sense knows a direct comparisan to Hiroshima is over the top… as with your second example. But this coming from a troll who pushes wedge politics with every single post he writes is more than a bit rich…completely!
kcm2 on
Nice feature. I hope you keep it going[i've always loved something about radio. Which this is, sorta]
Skipped the Joe O piece. The man is a walking talking point with just about nothing new to say about anything + he outright lies all the time.[imo anyway]
Good discussion about keystone, which is turning out to be a bizzaro politco soap opera.
Harper badly needs a big win. But he even when he gets one[ CETA] he muffs it. This is becoming a pattern. Being turned down on keystone will be a gift to Trudeau. So i can’t really agree the Liberals are blowing hot an cold on pipelines. Trudeau has definitely nailed his colours to the keystone mast and it wont be his fault if it falls through. Conversely he has tacked way from Gateway[ smart imo] but not said much about KM, which i suspect he will back eventually; at least, he will do nothing to oppose it.
Maybe Harper’s got a big comeback in him reminiscent of Trudeau circa 1980. But he’s got a lot of balls in the air right now. And they don’t all seem to be coming down where he thought they all would.
kcm2 on
Post on iTunes? would love to listen in the car/at work!
Anon on
Neil Young (some quotes from Massey Hall speech): “…Leadership in Canada is a very poor imitation of the George Bush Administration in the US. … it’s an embarrassment to many Canadians …”
http://www.daysofthecrazy-wild.com/video-watch-neil-young/
well, atleast He got that one right:
Harpo and Bush, just like our past, MulDummy and Reagan.
bladerunner6978 on
Maybe you can get Andrew Leach to fact check Paul Wells’s claim that the NDP doesn’t like any pipelines.
I’ve heard Mulcair repeatedly endorse TCPL’s Energy East pipeline to feed AB crude to refineries in Montreal and NB.
Sloppy, even if it doesn’t fit the narrative.
No Southern Man on
Great discussion. Who convinced you three to pose as an aging boy band? Paul appears to be the front man. John likely writes the songs and does the arrangements. Aaron looks like the introverted synth player who hates the sell=out the band has become.
Sean on