Your daily dose of political theatre
Bloomberg Photo/Scott Dalton
Stephen Harper and Greg Rickford are hinting and hinting about the future of the proposed Northern Gateway pipeline. The Prime Minister told the House of Commons yesterday that the government would listen to “expert advice.” Rickford, the natural resources minister, told an American audience that Canada needs to find markets for its oil, those markets are in Asia, and they’re working with provincial and aboriginal counterparts to make something happen in British Columbia.
None of this will assuage the concerns on opposition benches. Of the various proposed pipelines, only one earns the ire of both the Liberals and NDP: Northern Gateway. The Liberals support the long-delayed Keystone XL project. The NDP opposes Keystone, but tentatively supports an east-west pipeline. With days remaining before the Tories approve or reject Northern Gateway, and all signs pointing to approval, the opposition should be gearing up for its final, dramatic chorus of disapproval.
Maclean’s is your home for the daily political theatre that is Question Period. If you’ve never watched, check out our primer. Today, QP runs from 2:15 p.m. until just past 3. We livestream and liveblog all the action.