Western premiers fume as Mulcair sticks to ‘Dutch disease’ guns

[Joe Shlabotnik]

1. I think Mulcair has to be careful with this one.

First off, he and the NDP have few friends in the media, compared to their adversaries. While linking environmental regulation to innovation and therefore job creation may be true in theory, the media and his adversaries are simply portraying his stance as 1)anti-western provinces, and 2) anti-oilsand growth. His pitch about sustainability is being lost in the counter-spin.

I think he would have more success by highlighting the tax breaks for big oil, noting the over-all decline in manufacturing over the last 10-20 years due to free trade agreements, and emphasizing growth by increasing the value-adding industry over the simple raw material extraction industry and foreign ownership of resources. Sustainability through diversification, will win over many more voters, then going back to the cap and trade ideas that sunk Stephane Dion (in a better economic times). There is far more low hanging fruit for the NDP to grab at this time, and expecting average Canadians to embrace the Porter Hypothesis is asking a bit much. I honestly hope this story dies quickly.