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Well, that was fun. I watched Vassy Kapelos interview Yves-François Blanchet (BQ leader) on Power & Politics. Mr. Blanchet is calm, measured, and statesmanlike. He said meeting with PMJT was cordial. Unlike certain Premiers from you-know-where. /2 #cdnpoli
2/ He stated that it is his job to seek common ground, as it is PMJT& #39;s. He outlined possible areas of disagreement but mentioned that if they aren& #39;t in the Throne Speech, he will not bring them forward in order to cause trouble. /3
3/ Those areas are Bill C-21 and interference in QC& #39;s territory re: pipelines. He reminded Ms. Kapelos that he& #39;d agreed to the Line 9B reversal when in the QC government and noted that QC& #39;s needs are met by Western Canada and the US oil/gas. No Saudi oil received. /4
4/ When asked about Wexit, Mr. Blanchet said that he would support a state& #39;s desire for separation if it were to form a "green state" but not if it were for an "oil state" *and* he would not support political threats of separation for extortion purposes. /5
5/ Vassy Kapelos kept ranting about EE. The frigging EE project is not feasible at today& #39;s prices and it isn& #39;t on the table as long as three other pipelines are underway or in limbo in the US. It& #39;s a dead issue. /6
6/ Irving has stated that it would not spend billions to refine bitumen, but would provide export facilities, *but* it& #39;s cheaper to sent bitumen to the US Gulf or the west coast. Ms. Kapelos tried to embroil Mr. Blanchet into a discussion about QC& #39;s own use of oil. /7
7/ He pointed out that QC& #39;s current needs are being met (as noted above), but that the *future* means less consumption and lower emissions and that QC is aiming for that. He thinks AB should spend its resources on transition to a lower emission future [as Notley was doing]. /8
8/ Mr. Blanchet thinks the federal government should not subsidize/support the oil industry - considers this to be irresponsible - but, of course, it& #39;s easy for him to say. And now on to Jason Kenney& #39;s predictable and self-serving hysterics.
Martin Patriquin complains about Mr. Blanchet& #39;s "extortion" comment (I& #39;m not sure that he used that word, but that& #39;s what he meant) - referred to BQ history from 1993. Well, the current Conservative Party isn& #39;t the same one of 1993. /2 #cdnpoli
2/ I think it& #39;s entirely possible that Mr. Blanchet will carve out a different path, especially considering that the BQ was on its death-bed when he became leader. I think he might just enjoy the power to lead the BQ in a different way.
