Jobs and the economy to take a back seat to environment

[Argus]

Jeffrey Simpson's column this morning with regard to the Natural Resources Ministry makes it very clear that the priority fo the Liberal government is the environment and that jobs and the economy just aren't very important. Natural Resources drives 20% of the economy and 10% of all jobs in Canada. So in addition to the increasingly complex regulatory burden the federal government will put on developing natural resources, and the increasing demand they will place on industry to accomodate whatever natives want or don't want done, we have a natural resources ministry whose primary purpose now seems to be to hamstring resources development, rather than encourage it.

In the past, the natural resources minister’s job was to promote the development and shipping of Canada’s natural resources. A huge number of jobs and indeed whole communities depended on those industries. Governments needed the revenues these industries produced. The country’s trade balance was influenced by the export of these products.

In the mandate letter for the Natural Resources Minister, however, there are 11 references to “clean technologies,” “renewable energy,” “pressing environmental challenges,” “reduce environmental impacts” and the like. The only reference to actually developing resources is the phrase that the minister’s “overarching goal will be to ensure that our resource sector remains a source of jobs, prosperity and opportunity.” But even this injunction is qualified with development being “in a world that increasingly values sustainable practices and low carbon processes.”

The Natural Resources mandate letter rather reads as if it were intended for the Environment Minister.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/globe-politics-insider/jeffrey-simpson-why-jim-carr-will-be-the-loneliest-cabinet-minister/article27791079/

[dialamah]

Need a subscription to read the link. If this government is making the environment a priority, then yay - future generations will likely find a livable world pretty useful.

I don't think it's accurate to say that making the environment a priority means that "jobs and economy just aren't very important". People and governments can have more than one priority, you know. Like if one happens to be remodeling a bathroom - making sure you have a door doesn't mean you have relegated the toilet to 'not very important'.

[dre]

No matter what they say now, the economy will be the primary focus because that's the core criteria for being re-elected. Not to mention the Liberals inherited a massive property bubble, and a large structural recession, and once that's clear to them they will be scrambling to keep the economy afloat, and doing anything they can to get more development happening.

Edited December 17, 2015 by dre

[Shady]

No matter what they say now, the economy will be the primary focus because that's the core criteria for being re-elected. Not to mention the Liberals inherited a massive property bubble, and a large structural recession, and once that's clear to them they will be scrambling to keep the economy afloat, and doing anything they can to get more development happening.

Utter and complete nonsense. Especially in regards to a structural recession. That doesn't even make any sense. But I see the excuses for Justin T are already being trotted out, well a head of re-election time.

[Rue]

Shady you interested in shares of my wind and gas companies? I am going to tap the wind and gas coming out of the Liberals in Ottawa. There should be ample supply for at least 4 years of profit.

[drummindiver]

All you have to do is look to Ontario's ring of fire, and the potential lost for jobs there.

[waldo]

All you have to do is look to Ontario's ring of fire, and the potential lost for jobs there.

no worries! Jobs aplenty... all the Trudeau Liberal government needs to do is follow the lead of Harper Conservatives in their support for Ontario's 'Ring of Fire'!

[Hudson Jones]

With all the oil being pumped out of the ground around the world, oil prices will continue to stay cheap for many years to come. Especially since Iran is going to be officially coming back into the market. That's a big hit to our economy. The Liberals will have to find a way to diversify our economy. An economy that is too dependent on the energy sector and natural resources.

Renewable energy is obviously something that most countries are investing in, so that goes without saying. At the same time, we should be looking at nurturing the tech sector and attracting skilled workers, like engineers and programmers from around the world. We should also look at our agriculture industry. Organic fruits and vegetables, grown in greenhouses is a market that is still young, but has lots of potential. This is something both the feds and the provincial governments should be investing in.

Edited December 18, 2015 by Hudson Jones

[dre]

Utter and complete nonsense. Especially in regards to a structural recession. That doesn't even make any sense. But I see the excuses for Justin T are already being trotted out, well a head of re-election time.

It makes perfect sense. The liberals are inheriting an economy that has been propped up with debt through dangerously low interest rates, a 300% increase in the amount of government backed mortgages, and a huge property bubble that the IMF, World Bank, and Bank Of Canada has already warned us may cause big problems. They are also inheriting extremely low household savings rates. Instead of allowing a recession and a necessary correction in the market like they did in the US the Conservative government kicked the can down the road and kept inflating the real estate bubble and encouraging debt financed consumption.

Its a house of cards, and its gonna collapse no matter who is charge.

[dre]

Shady you interested in shares of my wind and gas?

You know... I bet he is!

[Topaz]

Tackling the environment will probably create jobs and improve the economy IF its done correctly and all the provinces are on board.

[cannuck]

The flower childrens' children coming to roost in Ottawa will be a continuation of the Alberta left wing disaster. They will run the economy into the ground overnight, and debt of our grandchildren through the roof learning just how little anyone in Ottawa knows about much of anything except spending money they don't have.

You can't run an economy by lifting it up by your bootstraps. It is no different from starting a business: you don't quit your day job until you have your plan B operating successfully. These idiots will never figure that out - and we will get the bill for their ineptitude.

Edited December 18, 2015 by cannuck

[jacee]

The flower childrens' children coming to roost in Ottawa will be a continuation of the Alberta left wing disaster. They will run the economy into the ground overnight, and debt of our grandchildren through the roof learning just how little anyone in Ottawa knows about much of anything except spending money they don't have.

You can't run an economy by lifting it up by your bootstraps. It is no different from starting a business: you don't quit your day job until you have your plan B operating successfully. These idiots will never figure that out - and we will get the bill for their ineptitude.

If you truly believe that flower children ran Alberta's economy into the ground ... what are you smoking? ?

Maybe you shouldn't believe everything g your bosses say. No doubt they're upset and looking for someone to blame.

That's normal, but it's a smokescreen. The writing's been on the wall for decades. They're only paying attention now?

.

[dre]

The flower childrens' children coming to roost in Ottawa will be a continuation of the Alberta left wing disaster. They will run the economy into the ground overnight, and debt of our grandchildren through the roof learning just how little anyone in Ottawa knows about much of anything except spending money they don't have.

You can't run an economy by lifting it up by your bootstraps. It is no different from starting a business: you don't quit your day job until you have your plan B operating successfully. These idiots will never figure that out - and we will get the bill for their ineptitude.

Pretty silly. The Liberal party is, and has always been a business government, and we have seen some good economic growth on their watch.

Its not some tiny carbon tax or negligible marginal tax rate increase that will bring down this economy. Its the gigantic housing bubble, and policies that kept interest rates for way too long causing an extremely low household savings rate and further inflating the property bubble, which in turn cause people to borrow even more money of that fake paper value that they believe is home equity. Helocs, Arms, and a three fold increase in 5% down CHMC mortgages backed by tax payers that will be underwater with even a 5% correction, never mind the 30% correction that our own central bank has warned us is coming.

[On Guard for Thee]

You know... I bet he is!

Sounds like an enterprise they could both contribute to significantly.

[jacee]

With all the oil being pumped out of the ground around the world, oil prices will continue to stay cheap for many years to come. Especially since Iran is going to be officially coming back into the market. That's a big hit to our economy. The Liberals will have to find a way to diversify our economy. An economy that is too dependent on the energy sector and natural resources.

Renewable energy is obviously something that most countries are investing in, so that goes without saying. At the same time, we should be looking at nurturing the tech sector and attracting skilled workers, like engineers and programmers from around the world. We should also look at our agriculture industry. Organic fruits and vegetables, grown in greenhouses is a market that is still young, but has lots of potential. This is something both the feds and the provincial governments should be investing in.

I have a lot of faith in the younger generations' ability to transform our economy in logical and efficient ways to sustainable industries. They've grown up immersed in those necessities.

Change isn't ever pleasant for those whose lives are disrupted though.

.

[drummindiver]

Pretty silly. The Liberal party is, and has always been a business government, and we have seen some good economic growth on their watch.

Just ask Paul Martin how good business was. 162 million towards his company in government contracts while claiming 167 thousand.

The Liberals are about power at any cost...just look to Ontario.

[On Guard for Thee]

Just ask Paul Martin how good business was. 162 million towards his company in government contracts while claiming 167 thousand.

The Liberals are about power at any cost...just look to Ontario.

Just look at the surplus Martin handed to Harper and what happened to it tout suite. Liberals historically have been better custodians of the public purse.

[dre]

Just ask Paul Martin how good business was. 162 million towards his company in government contracts while claiming 167 thousand.

The Liberals are about power at any cost...just look to Ontario.

Politicians in general are about power at any cost. Good thing the conservative government didn't divert money to Harper's enterprises. Oh wait! He doesn't have any! He worked for wages in mail room, and was grooming himself to be a career politician as early as high school when he joined the Young Liberals Club (cough cough).

[dre]

Just look at the surplus Martin handed to Harper and what happened to it tout suite. Liberals historically have been better custodians of the public purse.

Gotta be fair! Most of the reason the liberals had a surplus was because they happened to be the government during the massive tech boom of the nineties. Harper presided over a softer economy complete with a global downturn etc.

The reality is that a sitting governments influence over the economy is dramatically overstated, especially by party supporters. Our economy thrives or suffers primarily based on the domestic appetite for consumption, and policies of the (sort of) arms length central bank.

Edited December 18, 2015 by dre

[On Guard for Thee]

Gotta be fair! Most of the reason the liberals had a surplus was because they happened to be the government during the massive tech boom of the nineties. Harper presided over a softer economy complete with a global downturn etc.

The reality is that a sitting governments influence over the economy is dramatically overstated, especially by party supporters. Our economy thrives or suffers primarily based on the domestic appetite for consumption, and policies of the (sort of) arms length central bank.

True, but he made some serious goofs such as dropping the gst, ad of course working the RE bubble to death.

[-1=e^ipi]

Need a subscription to read the link. If this government is making the environment a priority, then yay - future generations will likely find a livable world pretty useful.

Future generations may have also benefited from the increased technological progress that could have occurred if resources were instead used to advance technology.

The Liberals will have to find a way to diversify our economy.

I fail to see how shutting down the resource sector in the name of 'saving the planet' is 'diversifying'.

[drummindiver]

Politicians in general are about power at any cost. Good thing the conservative government didn't divert money to Harper's enterprises. Oh wait! He doesn't have any! He worked for wages in mail room, and was grooming himself to be a career politician as early as high school when he joined the Young Liberals Club (cough cough).

So, you think working as a public servant is less noble than striving to earn the big bucks?

I respectfully disagree.

And many schools are Liberal, so it's not surprising he was Liberal while in college.

Then he grew up.

[-1=e^ipi]

I have a lot of faith

So you admit your belief is based on religion.

[On Guard for Thee]

Future generations may have also benefited from the increased technological progress that could have occurred if resources were instead used to advance technology.

I fail to see how shutting down the resource sector in the name of 'saving the planet' is 'diversifying'.

Ignoring everything but the resource sector is certainly not diversifying. Now we have 35$ bbl oil so we will have to play a lot of catch up.