Nexen sale to China approved...

[bush_cheney2004]

That's OK.....71% of oil sands production is foreign owned, and they trade in U.S. dollars, not Canadian dollars.

[Rocky Road]

That's OK.....71% of oil sands production is foreign owned, and they trade in U.S. dollars, not Canadian dollars.

Bernanke coined the term fiscal cliff.

[kairos]

Harper and their ilk are traitors selling the rights to Canada's resources off to the highest bidder for the advantage of a small group of investors and right wing ideologues.

Edited December 31, 2012 by kairos

[geoffrey]

Harper and their ilk are traitors selling the rights to Canada's resources off to the highest bidder for the advantage of a small group of investors and right wing ideologues.

Just to clarify, the resources (oilsands) belong to Alberta, not Canada, under the constitution. Maybe Albertans should have more influence in the process surrounding the ownership of their resources, rather than allowing those in Ontario or Quebec set the agenda?

Edited January 1, 2013 by geoffrey

[Smallc]

Just to clarify, the resources (oilsands) belong to Alberta, not Canada, under the constitution.

Sure, but, to clarify again, foreign affairs is a federal responsibility, and so is a concern of all Canadians.

[geoffrey]

Sure, but, to clarify again, foreign affairs is a federal responsibility, and so is a concern of all Canadians.

That, I give you. The point I was addressing, however, was the selling out of "our" resources. They don't belong to Canadians in general, just Albertans.

[Smallc]

That, I give you. The point I was addressing, however, was the selling out of "our" resources. They don't belong to Canadians in general, just Albertans.

True, although we all benefit.

[geoffrey]

True, although we all benefit.

Of course, the economic impacts are substantial across Canada.

[punked]

Just to clarify, the resources (oilsands) belong to Alberta, not Canada, under the constitution. Maybe Albertans should have more influence in the process surrounding the ownership of their resources, rather than allowing those in Ontario or Quebec set the agenda?

Just to clarify under the Constitution all trade in resources outside of the province is regulated by the FEDERAL government. I am not sure who you are going to sell it to if the Feds say it can't leave Alberta.

[geoffrey]

Just to clarify under the Constitution all trade in resources outside of the province is regulated by the FEDERAL government. I am not sure who you are going to sell it to if the Feds say it can't leave Alberta.

That would certainly be quite the constitutional crisis. Anyway, this was tried before. Lougheed turned off the taps and the rest of Canada quickly bowed to the reality that they need Alberta's energy exports.

In either case, I'm advocating more provincial input into the decisions around natural resource ownership (though Nexen - nor China - owns any resources... they have leases and pay royalties to the people of Alberta).