Paul Wells, over at Macleans.com, wrote an interesting post about the Prime Minister’s seeming lack of opinion and comment about the US President’s recent comments on the pipeline.
http://www2.macleans.ca/2013/07/30/keystone-its-going-well/
If one took Mr. Obama’s comments literally, it seems the Keystone proposal will be disapproved, or at best needing a rewrite.
Mr. Wells suggested three reasons Mr. Harper might be so quiet on the file. He may be right (though I find it hard to believe that Mr. Harper can be wildly misreading the evidence). I thought of other reasons.
If the US does not want our product, other nations – especially those on the Pacific Rim – do. A pipeline to the BC coast (or thinking outside the box, to the Arctic) can get it to a port.
A reversed pipeline from Sarnia ON east to Quebec is another possibility.
I’m unsure that the PM would run in 2015 on #3, the Wounded Pride hypothesis. I think it’s more that a pipeline and a port in Canada means jobs for Canadians. And with an election on the horizon, jobs for Canadians (especially potentially in hurting ON and QC) would be a good selling point.
previouslytexan 