It was actually a billion and a half. It was the money from Alberta taxpayers that Jason Kenney put into the Keystone XL pipeline. It was not just a stupid move but one that he can spend the rest of his life regretting. I was hardly the only writer who criticized the bravado the Alberta premier exhibited in supporting a losing cause.
Joe Biden said very early in his campaign to defeat Donald Trump that he would cancel the Keystone XL pipeline. Large numbers of Canadians cheered that promise. We knew that a man like Biden would keep his word. We were also confident that, as a savvy politician, he would know the impact of his action. He was showing that what Trump could build, he could tear down.
And surely, Jason Kenney must have realized that Biden would keep his word. He also knew that the majority of Canadians were eager to see the end of Donald Trump’s reign of terror in Washington. He also knew that Joe Biden needed to take some concrete action along with saying he was rejoining the Paris Climate Accord. He needed to show the world that he would stop threats that could increase pollution and global warming. It hardly cost Biden anything to stop Keystone.
Kenney is hardly going to sue the United States government in hopes of getting his billion and a half of Alberta taxpayers’ money back. A fly can hardly bring charges against the wielder of a fly swatter for bodily harm.
Nor is Kenney going to sue Justin Trudeau for not doing anything about Biden’s move. If he could get away with it, Kenney would sue Trudeau for letting it snow in Calgary.
And for him to demand trade sanctions against the Americans from Trudeau is ridiculous. That was Donald Trump’s signature solution. Canadians were hardly likely to go along with that from our side of the border.
Canadians are looking for a return to normal relations with America. Kenney should shut up.
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