Canada - Canada not 'giant national park' for U.S., Harper says

[Mazmaz]

20 minute interview with Peter Mansbridge in link:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/stor...interview.html

Pipeline debate should be left to Canadians

The environmental review process is for Canadians, and not to be used by Americans who want Canada to be "one giant national park" for North America, Prime Minister Stephen Harper says.

In an exclusive interview Monday with CBC chief correspondent Peter Mansbridge, Harper said it's valid to have a discussion over how to strike a balance between jobs and environmental protection, but it's one that should be left to Canadians.

"It's one thing in terms of whether Canadians, you know, want jobs, to what degree Canadians want environmental protection. These are all valid questions," Harper said.

"But just because certain people in the United States would like to see Canada be one giant national park for the northern half of North America, I don't think that's part of what our review process is all about."

Harper and Natural Resources Minister Joe Oliver raised the issue of foreign money going to environmental groups earlier this month. The groups say they get a small amount of funding from outside of Canada and that the government is trying to refocus the debate when much of the investment in the oilsands comes from outside of Canada.
Harper said news the Obama administration would delay a decision on whether to approve extending TransCanada's Keystone XL pipeline was a wakeup call about the degree to which Canada is "held hostage" to U.S. decisions. He has since pressed for Canada to seek out new markets in Asia.

But while the government has made a case for Canadian oil as being more ethical than fuel produced in countries with poor human rights records, central or eastern Canada tend to buy oil from outside the country rather than from the oilsands.

Harper said that is odd, but there's nothing the government can do about it.

"We're really the only supplier that is secure and is increasing its production. So I think [being market-driven has] served the country well. It's served government revenues well. It's served creation of jobs well. But it is fundamentally a market-based decision. We don't dictate pipelines go here or there."

The wide-ranging interview covered a number of issues, including:

Public sector pension plans: Harper says the government is looking at ways to bring them closer to private sector norms. "As an employer, we have to have a pension plan that is reasonable and attractive to get people into the public sector, but it should not be significantly more generous than what would be available in the private sector." The government also has to look at the pensions of parliamentarians, he said.
Iran: Harper says it's "beyond dispute" that the country is trying to develop nuclear weapons, and that Iran frightens him. "These are people who have a particular, you know, fanatically religious world view, and their statements imply to me no hesitation of using nuclear weapons if they see them achieving their religious or political purposes."
Aboriginal Canadians: Harper says significant change needs to happen, but it will be gradual. "My own experience is that it will not be grand visions and declarations that achieve these things. It will be moving forward one step at a time, as we've been trying to do on things like water, investments in education, obviously building of trust, you know, as we've done through the residential school apology, and endorsement of the Declaration of Indigenous Rights."

[Stumblingdrunk]

That is absurd, of course it is.

[Xantavia]

Duh, canada already has another role.

[Blarg]

North America is structured like the human body. All the thinking goes on up top and all the shit comes out the bottom.

[Ragnus]

North America is structured like the human body. All the thinking goes on up top and all the shit comes out the bottom.

Wait, so Palin comes from the land of NA's intellectual Elite?

[Blarg]

Wait, so Palin comes from the land of NA's intellectual Elite?

but notice where she ended up? We shat her all over america, you're welcome.

[BaneTheBrawler]

I guess that means she's going to be moving to Mexico soon. Hopefully.

[Galkaeater]

North America is structured like the human body. All the thinking goes on up top and all the shit comes out the bottom.

and mexico does all the leg work?

[Blarg]

and they smell like feet