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Separatist
Dear Republic:
Kevin Potvin, in his article “No one defines a strong Canada” (issue 130) makes clear his rejection not only of independence for Quebec, but also of the right of Quebecois to decide this for themselves. And he seems to assume this view as one that is common to all his readers. It is not.
Let me start the discussion by saying that Quebec has the same right to independence as Tibet, Kurdistan, Latvia, etc.
- Ken Hiebert, Vancouver
Knee-slapper
Dear Republic:
Funny article (“Grab Alberta’s oil while the grabbing is good,” issue 129).
The difference between Alberta and Iraq (which you argue are the same) is that Alberta is open for business, and all the international players discussed in the article have investments in the Alberta reserves and are participating in their retrieval and distribution.
In the ’70s and ’80s the Liberal Party’s oil and gas export taxes and (starting in 1980) the NEP were just a blip on the world’s radar, even though they had significant impacts in Canada.
I agree that times have changed. Alberta is now on the world’s radar. As a result, if the feds were to try another NEP-style program today, the world’s aggressive players would howl. The US would likely step in with their military.
The politicians in Ottawa know it.
If you really believe the Canadian military (pop guns and all) could possibly protect those reserves after a notwithstanding clause declaration, then you might need to review what military reserves and equipment Canada has at its disposal.
Canada magically weathering through the collapse of the global oil and gas economy is a nice dream, though.
However, even were it so, I think we’ll have bigger fish to fry, since there won’t be any other economies left in the sandbox to play with.
- Dennis, via internet
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