Chantal Hebert, Bruce Anderson, John Ivision and The Huffington Post Canada's Ottawa Bureau Chief Althia Raj on CBC's At Issue Panel. The group discussed Thomas Mulcair's Dutch disease comments on the oil sands and other energy issues. (CBC)
The Huffington Post Canada's Ottawa Bureau Chief Althia Raj joined CBC's At Issue panel on "The National" Thursday night to debate Thomas Mulcair's controversial Dutch disease comments and the politics of the oilsands.
Raj joined Chantal Hebert, Bruce Anderson and the National Post's John Ivison (Andrew Coyne was away) for the debate.
Anderson and Ivison argued that Mulcair's assertion that the oilsands are keeping the dollar high at the expense of manufacturing exports was a misstep that will likely hurt him with voters. Hebert and Raj, meanwhile, maintained that Mulcair's play could help him in southern Ontario, where the manufacturing industry has been hammered during the economic downturn. Major gains in Ontario are a necessity if the NDP hopes to win the next election.
Rex Murphy also took time Thursday night to criticize Mulcair for his oilsands comments.
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Murphy slammed Mulcair for playing the economic downturn in the East off the resource boom in the West.
"We do not want to go there, and the Opposition leader might do well to hold off on these type of comments until he's actually visited the oilsands," Murphy said. "This game of playing one part of the country against another ... is of no value to anyone."
You can learn more about the development of Canada's oil industry in the slideshow below.
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10. Oil And Gas Accounts For 4.8 Per Cent Of GDP
The oil and gas industries accounted for around $65 billion of economic activity in Canada annually in recent years, or slightly less than 5 per cent of GDP. Source: <a href="http://www.ceri.ca/docs/2010-10-05CERIOilandGasReport.pdf" target="_hplink">Canada Energy Research Institute</a>
9. Oil Exports Have Grown Tenfold Since 1980
Canada exported some 12,000 cubic metres of oil per day in 1980. By 2010, that number had grown to 112,000 cubic metres daily. Source: <a href="http://membernet.capp.ca/SHB/Sheet.asp?SectionID=9&SheetID=224" target="_hplink">Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers</a>
8. Refining Didn't Grow At All As Exports Boomed
Canada refined 300,000 cubic metres daily in 1980; in 2010, that number was slightly down, to 291,000, even though exports of oil had grown tenfold in that time. Source: <a href="http://membernet.capp.ca/SHB/Sheet.asp?SectionID=7&SheetID=104" target="_hplink">Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers</a>
7. 97 Per Cent Of Oil Exports Go To The U.S.
Despite talk by the federal government that it wants to open Asian markets to Canadian oil, the vast majority of exports still go to the United States -- 97 per cent as of 2009. Source: <a href="http://www.nrcan.gc.ca/statistics-facts/energy/895" target="_hplink">Natural Resources Canada</a>
6. Canada Has World's 2nd-Largest Proven Oil Reserves
Canada's proven reserves of 175 billion barrels of oil -- the vast majority of it trapped in the oil sands -- is the second-largest oil stash in the world, after Saudi Arabia's 267 billion. Source: <a href="http://www.ogj.com/index.html" target="_hplink">Oil & Gas Journal</a>
5. Two-Thirds Of Oil Sands Bitumen Goes To U.S.
One-third of Canada's oil sands bitumen stays in the country, and is refined into gasoline, heating oil and diesel. Source: <a href="http://www.nrcan.gc.ca/statistics-facts/energy/895" target="_hplink">Natural Resources Canada</a>
4. Alberta Is Two-Thirds Of The Industry
Despite its reputation as the undisputed centre of Canada's oil industry, Alberta accounts for only two-thirds of energy production. British Columbia and Saskatchewan are the second and third-largest producers. Source: <a href="http://www.nrcan.gc.ca/statistics-facts/energy/895" target="_hplink">Natural Resources Canada</a>
3. Alberta Will Reap $1.2 Trillion From Oil Sands
Alberta' government <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2012/03/27/alberta-oil-sands-royalties-ceri_n_1382640.html" target="_hplink">will reap $1.2 trillion in royalties from the oil sands over the next 35 years</a>, according to the Canadian Energy Research Institute.
2. Canadian Oil Consumption Has Stayed Flat
Thanks to improvements in energy efficiency, and a weakening of the country's manufacturing base, oil consumption in Canada has had virtually no net change in 30 years. Consumption went from 287,000 cubic metres daily in 1980 to 260,000 cubic metres daily in 2010. Source: Source: <a href="http://membernet.capp.ca/SHB/Sheet.asp?SectionID=6&SheetID=99" target="_hplink">Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers</a>
1. 250,000 Jobs.. Plus Many More?
The National Energy Board says oil and gas employs 257,000 people in Canada, not including gas station employees. And the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers says the oil sands alone <a href="http://www.capp.ca/aboutUs/mediaCentre/NewsReleases/Pages/OilsandsaCanadianjobcreator.aspx" target="_hplink">will grow from 75,000 jobs to 905,000 jobs by 2035</a> -- assuming, of course, the price of oil holds up.
The Huffington Post Canada's Ottawa Bureau Chief Althia Raj joined CBC's At Issue panel on "The National" Thursday night to debate Thomas Mulcair's controversial Dutch disease comments and the politic...
The Huffington Post Canada's Ottawa Bureau Chief Althia Raj joined CBC's At Issue panel on "The National" Thursday night to debate Thomas Mulcair's controversial Dutch disease comments and the politic...
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And what about the damage that Climate change is doing to agriculture in this country that study said agriculture wasn'taffected by the high dollar well that isn't the only problem with the tarsands development.
While Ontarians basked in the warm weather, farmers were crossing their fingers that Jack Frost was done for the season. The mild March weather accelerated the growing season for apples and most fruit trees, with blossoms blooming much earlier than usual. But, despite the prayers of many farmers across Ontario, the frost hit and with it came devastation to orchards across the province. Early assessments indicate as much as 80 per cent of the province’s apple crop have been affected as well as a 30 to 40 per cent loss in peach production and a virtually complete devastation of cherry and plum crops.
RockyRacoon: And what about the damage that Climate change is doing
Chantal Herbert has to be the most independent political thinker in Canada.Raj was not to far behind.The other two,I expect to see them in the senate soon via political appointment.
Eileen_Warren: Chantal Herbert has to be the most independent political thinker
"All agreed the talking point is largely a distraction from the government's moves to overhaul the environmental assessment process and focus on more intensive resource development."
Why say "overhaul" when "gut" is what's meant? As in "to gut", to destroy, to maim, to render useless.
Skookum1: "All agreed the talking point is largely a distraction from
Oh Rex, Rex, Rex...you truly are a dinosaur. We all know you are a flatearther and climate change denier and any move to attempt to curb GHG's puts that group or person squarely in your hyperbolic cross-hairs. Mulcair hasn't called to shutter the tar sands. He has called for sustainable development and a sharing of the wealth, a truly socially democratic plan.
I'd like to add that Jim Flaherty showed his economic stupidity today in claiming that in now way does the rise in the Canadian Petro-Dollar hurt manufacturing jobs. What? Where have you been when hundreds of thousands of manufacturing jobs were lost between 2008 and present. How about Caterpillar that shut it's doors to move to a cheaper market. Where did you get your economic know-how?
Ryan_L_Painter: Oh Rex, Rex, Rex...you truly are a dinosaur. We all
I thought Raj was an extreme lightweight compared to the rest of this seasoned panel....wondered why she was there in the first place.....not impressed.
HossHumard: I thought Raj was an extreme lightweight compared to the
I couldn't disagree with you more. She brought a different viewpoint to the panel. David was completely wrong in this and I believe John was somewhat on the side that this was strategy, though he seemed to believe it was a bad one. Chantal and Raj were classy and even handed and both realized that not only was this a clear strategy to play to voters in Ontario but that, as proven by recent polls, the strategy is working.
Ryan_L_Painter: I couldn't disagree with you more. She brought a different
Mulcair's statement was absolutely, objectively true.
Manufacturing's lost 500,000 jobs, and that's been driven in a large part by the high dollar. The dollar is being driven by oil. This has been studied to death and there's really no debating it.
The real controversy here is why Harper, who pretends to be an economist, hasn't done anything to mitigate the negative effects of having a petro-dollar economy.
There are dozens of examples around the world of countries managing their resource wealth better than Canada. This incompetent mismanagement is getting to be Harper's hallmark.
fencerman: Mulcair's statement was absolutely, objectively true. Manufacturing's lost 500,000 jobs,
Mulcair made no mistake, in fact during the NDP caucus debates he spoke about the carbon footprint left behind by the tar sands that eventually we will have to pay for. There is a better way to control this issue simply by focusing on what most Canadians want and that is a clean environment. Alberta needs to re learn this lesson as the CPC.
Whistlejackett: Mulcair made no mistake, in fact during the NDP caucus
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The Huffington Post Canada | By Michael Bolen Posted: 05/11/2012 10:38 am Updated: 05/11/2012 11:59 am