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Gary Doer defends Alberta oilsands
October 19, 2009 - 10:40am
Quote:
Harper'sCanada's new ambASSador [emphasis added] to the United States said Alberta's oilsands are facing a "disproportionate amount" of criticism in the climate-change debate -- arguing North America risks missing "the big picture" on global warming if Canadian oil is singled out as the chief carbon emissions culprit."One of the concerns that I have is that it represents so little of the emissions in North America. It's getting a disproportionate amount of chatter," Gary Doer said in an interview Sunday with Canwest News Service.
Maybe this was a quick payback.
Was the job conditional on defending the tar sands? Arguably this is the most important current issue and what is better than a former NDP premier to come out with that.
This does not help NDP enviro creds at all-- unfortunate to have to underline that this is an ex-premier of a provincial party. Would be helpful if the current NDP government distanced themselves from this point of view.
Sounds more like a first instalment:
[emphasis added]
Source.
Well, I don't expect that anyone here on babble expected that Harper would appoint someone to the job who wasn't with the tar sands program. Looks like that in the lead-up to Copenhagen, Harper is trying to position Canada as a victim of anti-climate change zealots. Doer is all too happy to go along with his new boss.
Doer has had experience working with the State of Minnesota and, to some degree, the US Federal Government, dealing with the conduct of the State of North Dakota in diverting the waters of Devil's Lake into the Red River watershed and polluting both Minnesota and Manitoba with unknown foreign biota. So Doer knew some of the ins and outs of the purgatory of US politics from first hand experience.
Gosh, he might just be considered an honourary American. Hoo rah!
Harper appointed a pro-war, pro-oilsands, pro-business, pro-free trade guy as ambassador.
I live in Manitoba, so I'm honestly not surprised. And I won't be surprised when Doer starts talking up the war in Afghanistan.
I'm just wondering how long it will take NDPers, especially those outside of Manitoba, to start realizing what Harper's new ambassador stands for.
I don't think Doer actually stands for or believes in anything other than his own popularity. What else would explain his ability to easily take on whatever position suits him or the people he's trying to impress?
genstrike - What do you mean "starts" talking up the war in Afghanistan? Doer has been a regular snake oil salesman on that front ... especially, but not only, during election time.
Those babblers who are in the habit of denouncing left wing types - like me - for importing federal issues into provincial political discussions, especially if it relates to foreign policy, war and peace, and so on, were rather amusingly silent when I commented on this practice of former Premier Doer. Or I was told that it "wasn't that important". Hoo rah!
You're right, I wasn't clear, I meant starts talking it up as ambassador - peaching our support for the "war on terror" and in Afghanistan, talking about more troops in Afghanistan (I think perhaps part of the reason why he was appointed was a cynical ploy to make the war a little more palatable to some progressives - Obama and the NDP premier are behind it together), things like that which he will be doing as ambassador.
Thanks for that, Ari.
It reflects so much better on the NDP.
That does it! I'm never voting for Gary Doer ever again.
There are Greens who say that the NDP is all for the environment until it becomes a choice between jobs and growth on the one hand and the environment on the other-- then they screw the environment. This feeds into that perception. It also feeds in to an argument to change the federal party name and give some distance between it and provincial NDP governments.
I would like to think that this is not what the NDP is about but it is hard to reconcile Doer with any concept of NDP environmentalism.
I realize the federal party has done a lot of work in preparing policies on the environment and has been incredibly consistent in house votes on the file. But the party has not held power federally. Better to have no record than this record. I am inclined to see the merits in having different names and allowing seperation of federal and provincial parties-- let the federal NDP associate with a provincial cousin only if they are on the same page.
Anyone know if there is a reaction from the provincial NDP he left behind on this?
I don't know what all the fuss is about. Gary Doer didn't sell Canada's environment to Exxon-Imperial and friends. The federal Liberals and Tories did that all by themselves.
Gary Doer doesn't even represent the Manitoba NDP anymore, a party in a province that has nothing to do with dirty oil from tar sands. Laying the tar sands and NAFTA at Gary Doer's feet is a load of bunk. And anyone who tries to lay blame for Alberta's pollution export economy squarely on the shoulders of the NDP should not be taken seriously.
Doer's cult of personality is still very much intact, and won't break down easily.
Hydro hike, CEGEP tuition fees on the table
Liberal proposal Measures part of plan to balance budget by 2014
This is what happens when we have weak central governments clawing back federal transfers to provinces led by weak old line party leadership complicit with the pro-America agenda for importing cheap Canadian energy in general.
Our two old line parties want you to pay more for Canadian energy so that Americans living the most unsustainable way of life in the world can have more at Canadians' expense.
Another thread one just has to love, just as one loves a snipey great aunt/uncle that smells funny and grabs your cheek. They have the best intentions, but are basically out to lunch.
We've been saddled with an old world economy based on exporting raw materials and energy to the USA. We're in the middle of yet another capitalist crisis that is basically centred in North America and western world in general. But we can forget all that, because Gary is the evol Doer. And the Manitoba NDP, nay, all NDP'ers must take share in this baseball poker inning of the blame game.
I don't think that anyone in this thread who is critical of Doer's shilling for the conservatives and for his comments about the tar sands suggested that he is in any way representing the NDP. That is a red herring. A couple of posters did suggest however, that because of his PAST associations, it makes it more difficult for the party to develop its credibility on environmental issues. I don't think that's "out to lunch".
Bob Rae was defended by many in the ONDP after the party's embarrassing defeat in 1995. The mythology around that is that it was the public sector unions and the CAW's fault (as if the ONDP could have been "saved" by labour). For many of Rae's defenders, he only became an "evil-doer" after he became a member of the liberal party. Now they're among his shrillest critics because he turned out to be a turncoat - not because of anything he did while in office.
Did Bob Rae do some good things as Premier of Ontario? Absolutely. Did Doer do some good things for Manitoba? Undoubtedly although I don't know Manitoba politics. Did some in the Ontario labour movement over-react to the social contract? Probably. Did it cost the ONDP the 1995 election? Absolutely not. That's akin to the line that what is said on babble somehow has an impact on the NDP's political fortunes.
The good things done by NDP premiers and governments shouldn't provide teflon armor for the not-so-good things they did. Period. Why does it have to be all or nothing, i.e. saints or treacherous demons.
No one suggested they have to be saints at all.
And most definitely there is oblique connotations being made that indeed he does represent the NDP. Not even going to debate that with you, it is so evident.
Perhaps those not aware of how propaganda is used, in its many forms, would not see it, or perhaps would not recognize it as such, but I suspect they are few and far between on this site.
Of course he is! He was an NDP premier for almost 10 years. He went through a revolving door to be ambassador to the US for Canada's most reactionary and retrograde prime minister. And suddenly all those years in the NDP mean nothing? Gimme a break.
That's true, and it was the ONDP's failure to come to terms with Rae that is, in large part, responsible for their continued exile in the political wilderness.
The Manitoba NDP are not disowning Doer. Are the feds? Sean in Ottawa makes very valid points.
I don't know. On August 27, 2009, the federal leader said of Mr. Doer:
There may be an update coming.
See...such greataunt and uncle propaganda always works, it is tried and true. Thus people use it over and over again because they want either a Con or Liberal government I guess.
Nothing like those who want status quo to get a good laugh from.
On August 28, the federal leader said:
"... on behalf of all Canadians" ... The federal leader may not have been aware then that Mr. Doer (like Her Excellency Mme Jean) would merely be following Mr. Harper's orders.
I'll keep checking.
Or am I not supposed to quote the federal party talking about an ex-provincial leader? Sorry if I've broken any protocol.
I am sure you will unionist, please do keep us in the loop, eh.
Entertainment value 100%
I watched Layton at the Doer farewell party on CBC. He was quite thrilled to be there, I guess he wasn't expecting Doer to be such a horse's ass on the tarsands project. I wonder how Layton feels today?
If that is true then I guess Layton is stupider than I gave him credit for. Hoorah for third way politicians!!!! Can you tell the Difference I Can't Tell the Difference.
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Soothsayers had a better record of prediction than economists
Let's throw eggs at his house, and all the NDP supporters! That'll fix the Liberals and Tories who pawned off our environment to the fossil fuel industry over the last 25 years, and even further back than that. Grab a flaming torch everyone, and follow us to NDP headquarters!!
Why should Layton feel anything?
Gawd, i love babble!
Me three! Although, we're about 50 years too late. St Laurent and Diefenbaker were the ones responsible for selling off our natural gas to the Yanks in the 1950's. And their old line party successors merely finished the job with handing off the oil and gas to majority foreign ownership and control in 1989 and 94. But let's blame the NDP by proxy of the evol Doer named Gary, who isn't even an NDP premier anymore. Works for me. Let's roll!! And bring your, "We demand Canadians be clobbered with carbon taxes!" signs.
You can keep fooling yourself remind, but the NDP is that status quo as much as the other two. It is you and other my-party-right-or-wrong-ers who represent the perpetuation of the status quo with the false hope of change through more of the same.
I got my pop corn already for more news, on how dastardly the federal NDP and Layton are, because of Doer....it'll be like watching a game of twister, where several people always end up with their noses up someone else's ass.