Brian Crossman is a partner in Estevan-based Independent Well Servicing.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau speaking at a town hall at First Nations University in Regina on April 13. CPAC Screen capture
I just read an article on the interweb about how our current Prime Minister is the least popular (most despised?) PM for the last 65 years. Probably because not many people can remember much farther back than that. From my point of view, he’s the worst ever, and that’s saying something as I am ancient enough to remember when his dad was Prime Minister. The first time. Even before the “National Energy Program” and literally giving the finger to Western Canada he WAS the worst. But no, his son is kicking his ass in that department.
Of course, I am biased as I watch him squander the opportunity Canada has (had?) to be a world energy leader in fossil fuels, LNG in particular. Japan is currently looking to secure a reliable source of LNG for the coming decades. Decades. Last year Germany asked Canada about this very thing. Why Canada, you ask? Well, we are, or were politically stable. Friendly, trustworthy, clean, easy to get along with. Canada is resource rich; you name it we probably have it. Our federal government continues to forge ahead with their non-plan of ignoring our friend’s pleas for energy security in Trudeau’s quest for popularity with his celebrity buddies.
But wait, there’s more. Striving to make Canada not only energy dependent, but food dependent also (ask a farmer about this) and the ongoing faith in the USA to protect us militarily seems to be a prerogative for the liberal government. (Note: I have the utmost respect for the Canadian military, but they do not receive the resources required.) The strong desire to make Canadians more and more dependent on government assistance is also a growing concern for free-thinking Canadians. When Canadians have “carbon pricing” (it’s a F—ing Tax!) That raises the cost of EVERYTHING and some of us are given rebates to cover the extra cost. Not surprisingly, it doesn’t even come close to making daily life affordable.
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Why did I just bore you with all these fun facts which if you’re reading this you all know full well to be the truth? Okay, I’ll tell you. Not too long ago I had a conversation with the daughter of my best friends. I do not want to use her real name so we will call her “Jane.” It so happens she works in the UK for a large software firm in business development. Her area of operation is Europe, but she also has knowledge of dealings in Asia, America and the Middle East. Jane is an intelligent individual, well read, extremely good at her job and originally from southeast Saskatchewan, which automatically makes her a hard-working person as well. Just your typical Saskatchewan success story. No surprise at all.
I had not talked with her for some time, so I quizzed her about her career path, and the challenges of growing businesses around the globe. It was both fascinating and enlightening to hear Jane talk about what is happening out there. The world is changing in dramatic fashion and energy both fossil-fueled and “alternative” is on the forefront of these changes. Oil and gas are still leading the charge economically in the world today. Despite what Steven Guilbeault thinks and says, the crude oil business isn’t going away soon, and Jane’s contacts around the globe only confirm this.
This young lady knows many people in the energy industry. Me, being me, just had to ask. “Jane, how is Canada perceived on the world stage?”
“Canada has always been respected, but the current leadership is not considered strong by many business leaders around the world,” She replied. She also told me that many believe that our prime Minister is considered to be a weak, incompetent person and is somewhat of a joke. I considered this and it resonates with what we are observing right here in Western Canada. This of course does not shine a positive light on our great nation. In my humble opinion Canada does not currently have any real standing politically, economically and even morally to some degree. The global business community looks at Canada as a country that is squandering its huge economic potential.
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Politically we have a leader that garners little to no respect from the other leaders (unless he’s giving them OUR money) He is more worried about showing off his socks or unintentionally mocking other cultures. (India for starters) And morally? Canada has not met its NATO commitments, taxed and spent its middle class into near poverty now, and possibly total poverty in the future. And for what? The opportunity to further enrich his friends and family? This belief of taxing the citizens to save the environment is hard to swallow, especially when our grocery bills make swallowing food so expensive. We don’t have enough space here to discuss the housing crisis he may not have started, but sure hasn’t lifted a finger to avert or even slow it down. All this as interest rates continue to rise.
As a Canadian, it’s hard to accept that we as a country are barely a blip on anyone’s radar, but when you hear it first-hand from many expatriated Canadians it sure hits home. We are throwing away the opportunity to lead the world in a safe energy transition. We have the resources in this country that should afford us the lowest taxes and the best health care in the world. (FYI, we are currently ranked twenty third.) I am not against financial aid to counties that need it, but we need to get our own financial house in order as well.
This is how this whole situation looks from my vantage point. Have you ever seen a dude driving a car like an asshole down the road? The one that tailgates you for a while and then passes at the worst possible moment (BIG TRUCK! BIG TRUCK!) and scares the crap out of you? Then you see him a bit later, either pulled over getting a ticket, or worse, upside down in the ditch. Maybe on fire. Somewhat gratifying I will admit, until you realize it’s your car he was driving. This is the same with the current leadership in Ottawa. Running headlong toward their perceived “green energy” future, but not slowing down to make sure it is being done in an efficient, safe and sustainable manner. They are imposing unrealistic goals and targets upon business and all Canadians. This puts us in the backseat of our own car while we speed toward a crash we may not survive.
Brian Crossman is a partner at Independent Well Servicing in Saskatchewan, where all the best people come from. As of this writing, he has learned that Justin and Sophie have separated. He takes no joy in any marriage drama, but it begs a certain question. Are the rats jumping the sinking ship? We will know after the next election.
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