John Chuckman
EXPANSION OF COMMENT POSTED TO AN ARTICLE BY DAVID THURTON IN CBC NEWS
“Jason Kenney [Alberta’s newly-elected, aggressively conservative Premier] won big — and the Ottawa-Alberta relationship is about to get unruly
“His federal connections give him a nationwide profile few premiers enjoy. How will he use it?”
Apart from my many other concerns over Trudeau, I actually don't think he is up to any battle with seriously aggressive opponents such as Kenney in Alberta or Ford in Ontario.
He just does not have the stuff it takes.
He virtually glided into office last time, glided on his name and looks.
And since that time, he has managed to disappoint many Liberal Party interest groups who supported him, while also managing to disappoint many other wider interests.
I'm sure he's going to try playing Little David to an army of Goliaths, but he is not Little David, and his words and behaviors are ineffective.
Just read the limp words of Trudeau’s letter to Kenney.
"Together, we will address issues of importance to Albertans and all Canadians."
Yuck, such language, verbal tofu.
" …to create good, middle class jobs"
Why just Middle Class? That sounds genuinely American in its appeal (after all, in America, politicians cannot speak of class – everyone is Middle Class), and the qualifier only weakens stronger words.
“…while getting our natural resources to market."
Again, weak and ineffective. How about even using the name of the problem? Building badly-needed pipelines, as Trudeau has so far failed to do.
An economy can't function without road and rail networks, which is all pipelines are, transport networks.
"…at the heart of Alberta's prosperity…"
Good God, is he blind? Or does he refuse to look? Alberta's decline is exactly what Kenney’s election reflects.
"…the province can remain competitive in our changing economy."
Competitive, for Alberta, means the pipelines to markets Trudeau has done so little to provide.
