Inside Alberta’s very bad week: A behind-the-scenes look at the killing of Keystone XL

 

EDMONTON/CALGARY – The Alberta government’s trade office in Washington, D.C. called home last week with grim tidings: Rumours were circulating the U.S. capital that President Joe Biden was planning to scrap the Keystone XL pipeline on his first day in office.

It set off a wave of alarm. The Alberta government worked through the weekend to prepare its response strategy and a flurry of phone calls were placed between Ottawa, representatives in Washington and to the TC Energy headquarters in Calgary. On Sunday, news outlets reported on a Biden team transition memo that said the death of Keystone XL was coming.

The fix was in. KXL’s cancellation fits the LPC agenda perfectly. Impoverish Canadians and call it building a “sustainable green economy.”

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Tse Chi Lop: Chinese drug lord with Canadian passport of convenience arrested in Amsterdam

Dutch police arrest Chinese-born Canadian national who allegedly runs multibillion-dollar drug syndicate

Dutch police said on Saturday they had arrested the alleged leader of a multibillion-dollar drug syndicate who is listed as one of the world’s most-wanted fugitives and has been compared to Mexican drug lord Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman.

Tse Chi Lop, a Chinese-born Canadian national, was detained on Friday at the request of Australian police, who led an investigation that found his organization dominates the $70 billion-a-year Asia-Pacific drug trade, Dutch police spokesperson Thomas Aling said.

Tse is expected to be extradited after appearing before a judge, Aling said, adding that his arrest by national police took place without incident at Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport.

I love how CBC describes him as a “Canadian national.” Like so many others his passport was likely purchased under a government investment scam making us complicit in his criminal activities.

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With Keystone XL effectively dead, where does Jason Kenney go from here?

Alberta Premier Jason Kenney has spent the last number of days calling for consequences and compensation in the aftermath of U.S. President Joe Biden revoking the permit for the Keystone XL pipeline.

But Canada’s options appear limited, and are unlikely to include the introduction of sanctions, as the premier has suggested.

In an interview Saturday on CBC’s The House, Canada’s ambassador to the United States even said it was time to let the project go in favour of other pressing bilateral issues.

The fix was in.

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Isn’t it great that the oil from Canada will now be moved by trains and trucks?

Now that the Keystone XL pipeline is canceled by President Joe Biden, the world is supposedly greener.

Really?  Fact is, it’s the opposite.  Instead of getting more environmentally friendly, the carbon footprint from that oil will be increased substantially because it will be shipped by trucks and trains above ground instead of through underground pipe.  It is also much less safe and efficient: shipping by trucks and trains means more accidents — and an increased human cost.  What sheer brilliance!  I thought all of Biden’s decisions were going to be based on facts and science.

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Rex Murphy: Were I an Albertan today, I’d be asking: What’s the point?

I’d be asking, how long are we going to put up with being mauled and mocked and stymied and blocked, by forces within Canada and without?

He couldn’t wait.

Joe Biden didn’t let the sun set on his first day as president before coming down like a ton of bricks on Alberta. Almost with his first breath, he smashed Keystone XL.

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Today in ‘Canada Gets Fucked Over By The Liberal Party’: It’s time to let Keystone XL go, ambassador says

Canada’s ambassador to the United States says there’s no chance of President Joe Biden walking back his decision to kill the Keystone XL pipeline — so she’s turning her attention to other pressing bilateral issues.

“It’s obviously very disappointing for Albertans and people in Saskatchewan who are already in a difficult situation,” Kirsten Hillman said in an interview airing Saturday on CBC’s The House.

“But I think that we need to now focus on moving forward with this administration, and there are so many ways in which we are going to be aligned with them to our mutual interest that I’m eager to to get going on that.”

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Corbella: Payette uses the same excuse as Trudeau did in Gropegate

“We all experience things differently.”

That was one of the lines included in the resignation letter written by Gov. Gen. Julie Payette, who stepped down from her viceregal role Thursday following the completion of an independent workplace review that has been described as a “scathing” indictment of her “toxic” behaviour toward staff.

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Trudeau says he’s looking to improve vetting process for GGs following Payette controversy

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says his government is looking at ways to strengthen the vetting process for the next governor general after his choice for the job — Julie Payette — resigned yesterday following reports she presided over a toxic work environment at Rideau Hall.

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Liberal riding association accepted donation from accused Iranian money launderer

A Liberal member of parliament’s riding association received a $240 donation from a man suspected by CSIS of laundering money for the Iranian regime.

Elections Canada records show that Alireza Onghaei, originally from Iran, donated to the Richmond Hill Federal Liberal Association on Dec. 3, 2019. The Liberal MP for Richmond Hill is Majid Jowhari, who was born in Iran.

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Premiers tell Trudeau they ‘want to go to war’ with U.S. over Keystone XL: sources

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau faced anger from some of Canada’s premiers Thursday over U.S. President Joe Biden’s decision to cancel the Keystone XL pipeline project — including heated calls for punishment that could fracture ties between the two allies.

The First Ministers call, which lasted just over an hour, also touched on the coronavirus pandemic and issues with the nationwide vaccine rollout, sources told Global News. But Canada-U.S. relations in the wake of Biden’s controversial move dominated the discussion.

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Payette stepping down as governor general after blistering report on Rideau Hall work environment

Gov.-Gen. Julie Payette and her secretary, Assunta di Lorenzo, are resigning after an outside workplace review of Rideau Hall found that the pair presided over a toxic work environment.

Last year, an independent consulting firm was hired by the Prime Minister’s Office to review reports that Payette was responsible for workplace harassment and creating a toxic culture at Rideau Hall.

Sources who were briefed on the report told CBC News that its conclusions were damning.


Review of Gov. Gen. Julie Payette’s treatment of staff paints ‘scathing’ picture: sources

The high-profile review into allegations of a “toxic” workplace at Rideau Hall is now complete.

And sources tell Global News that results offer what they called a “scathing” portrait of Gov. Gen. Julie Payette.

Everything Justin touches turns to shit.

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Biden presidency will improve battered Canada-U.S. relationship but won’t be without obstacles, experts warn

Joe Biden’s presidency will improve a battered Canada-U.S. relationship — but the change at the top won’t be enough on its own to paper over some lingering bilateral concerns, experts say.

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