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“I am a Canadian, free to speak without fear, free to worship in my own way, free to stand for what I think right, free to oppose what I believe wrong, or free to choose those who shall govern my country. This heritage of freedom I pledge to uphold for myself and all mankind.” ~~ John G. Diefenbaker

PECKFORD: When you are male and you have one leg on one side of the fence ...


... and the other on the other side of the fence ... and things get shaky. Well you just might fall, and hurt yourself.

I suppose you can still, for commentary purposes and to make a point, describe such things in this way notwithstanding this panic driven politically correct world we now live in.

Well, that it where our dear Princeling, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, finds himself this day. His political dexterity is being challenged like never before. 

You see when you speak out of both side of your mouth over and over again at some point it has got to catch up with you. The circle cannot be squared, really.

Take the application by Teck Resources to develop the Frontier Oil Sands mine in Northern Alberta; the Province of Alberta wants it to go ahead, and environmentalists and their ilk want it cancelled forever.

And the dear Princeling has spent millions traipsing around the world boasting of his Environmental bona fides -- at the Paris Summit, and everywhere he has been.

During the last election he had environment at the top of the list as his priority, and since then he has reiterated this theme.

That’s the top of the list?!?!

Yet, he is playing a dangerous game, on the one hand spending billions on Trans Mountain pipeline expansion while imposing a carbon tax, spending millions on new environmental legislation like Bill 69 while ignoring the ongoing coal mining happening in the country or the northern gas pipeline in BC.


Well, watch the dance as this decision comes down very soon. Likely carbon credits all over the place, other so-called mitigating measures etc, etc ... ad nauseam.

A news story today says the Liberal MP’s are urging the PM to say no to this development. From the Huffington Post:

‘OTTAWA — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau heard an earful from his Liberal caucus Wednesday, with MPs passionately urging his cabinet not to approve Teck Resources Limited’s massive $20-billion Frontier Oil Sands Mine Project in Alberta.’

You see they are telling the Prime Minister that they just fought an election where, at the door and at meetings in their districts, they preached the environmental line that the PM was advocating and that if his government approves the Frontier Mine, this will go against everything they had said.

So finally, the Prime Minister is cornered ... as he should be and should have been long long ago. Double speak comes home to roost.

If the cap fits, I guess you got to wear it.


In 1972, Brian Peckford was first elected, as a Progressive Conservative, to the Newfoundland Labrador House of Assembly -- he became Premier at the age of 36, holding the leadership of his party and government from 1979 to 1989.

Since leaving politics, early in 1989, Peckford has conducted public inquires for the governments of British Columbia and Canada, has served on numerous Boards including the CBC, and has been active in public affairs. 

Since 1993, he and his wife Carol have made British Columbia their home; they now live in Parksville, on Vancouver Island. He blogs at Peckford 42.
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