You are onto something but not in the shape you present. I am all for provincially selected projects, but one should insist that the projects aim at strengthening the federation. Let the provinces wear the mantle of Canada, and let Ottawa be the facilitator, rather than the director.
I think the national railways was built this way, by the way. The provinces asking for it and Canada being created (amongst other reasons) to make that multi provincial project possible.
I lived in Northern Ontario at the time of Energy East. Not one person, of any political stripe, was in favour of it. The ridiculous map of that pipeline barrelled straight past so many towns and lakes and watersheds, that everyone with an ounce of sense could see the disaster in the making affecting their lives and livelihoods.
I like the idea of uploading projects to the feds for another reason. The provinces, especially here in Ontario, have proven over and over that they can't be trusted to use funds for their designated purpose. Billions go "missing", and we don't get our healthcare, or schools, or whatever, because the province decides to use it as a slush fund. If the project is accepted and approved, at least we know there's something specific we can expect and demand to see.
I like this plan! With a few caveats. (naturally - this is the internet after all!)
First of all, absolutety no new highways! We've already not horrible car traffic, really poor rates of active transportation, terrible public transit. Inducing even more mobility injustice, forced social isolation, driver violence and other forms of car harm is a non-starter.
Secondly, building public transportation in Canada is WAY too expensive. The Broadway skytrain costs over double per km when compared to the recent Paris ligne 8 extension. This is where we need the feds to step in, negotiate better long term contracts with companies like Alstrom and have them build or relocate their factories to Canada, in deals involving technical universities and university engineering departments.
Lastly, the projects need to be built with strictly union labour. That's something the NDP would insist on at any rate.
What you are proposing is helicopter money that has been borrowed. So, you want to run up the deficit and impoverish young people, oh, your age and younger with more debt to repay!
You don't want to have a project that "would take ten years" but you simply don't understand that so, so, so many of us have given up on Canada BECAUSE it takes ten years to get something through the damned hearings, commissions, appeals, law suits, required re-hearings, required re-studies, required new law suits and all the rest of the damned nonsense. When a fair process could see the project proposed and completed in, say, four or five years. Soup to nuts. Total.
So much is involved in achieving perfection in not only providing a fair hearing to all sides but APPEARING to provide that right which inevitably allows pressure groups to appeal, not in an attempt at fairness but to use the law to frustrate, delay and ultimately deny.
A starting point would be to repeal some of the stupid laws implemented by the Face Painter. For example, the No More Pipelines Bill has insane requirements for such incredible "fairness" that it could never be achieved. Repeal that law and replace it with a fair system that can allow for reasonable consultations but with timelines that are reasonable.
Then, absolutely, have an interprovincial project. I will even propose one for you: Energy East. After hearings, etc. - remember, a reasonable timeline - the feds need to say that this is a project that is in the national interest and has been studied and consulted so it WILL proceed. And instruct lawyers to prepare declarations under the Peace, Order and Good Government clause.
But, such a sensible way of doing things will never occur in this wretched country which is why I and many others have given up on this country.
Helicopter money? What is that? Is that the money super wealthy tax dodgers are flying off in their helicopters to their private islands with due to Carney's cancelation of the capital gains wealth tax on the 1%?
You are onto something but not in the shape you present. I am all for provincially selected projects, but one should insist that the projects aim at strengthening the federation. Let the provinces wear the mantle of Canada, and let Ottawa be the facilitator, rather than the director.
I think the national railways was built this way, by the way. The provinces asking for it and Canada being created (amongst other reasons) to make that multi provincial project possible.
I lived in Northern Ontario at the time of Energy East. Not one person, of any political stripe, was in favour of it. The ridiculous map of that pipeline barrelled straight past so many towns and lakes and watersheds, that everyone with an ounce of sense could see the disaster in the making affecting their lives and livelihoods.
I like the idea of uploading projects to the feds for another reason. The provinces, especially here in Ontario, have proven over and over that they can't be trusted to use funds for their designated purpose. Billions go "missing", and we don't get our healthcare, or schools, or whatever, because the province decides to use it as a slush fund. If the project is accepted and approved, at least we know there's something specific we can expect and demand to see.
I like this plan! With a few caveats. (naturally - this is the internet after all!)
First of all, absolutety no new highways! We've already not horrible car traffic, really poor rates of active transportation, terrible public transit. Inducing even more mobility injustice, forced social isolation, driver violence and other forms of car harm is a non-starter.
Secondly, building public transportation in Canada is WAY too expensive. The Broadway skytrain costs over double per km when compared to the recent Paris ligne 8 extension. This is where we need the feds to step in, negotiate better long term contracts with companies like Alstrom and have them build or relocate their factories to Canada, in deals involving technical universities and university engineering departments.
Lastly, the projects need to be built with strictly union labour. That's something the NDP would insist on at any rate.
Evan, I have a real problem with your "solution."
What you are proposing is helicopter money that has been borrowed. So, you want to run up the deficit and impoverish young people, oh, your age and younger with more debt to repay!
You don't want to have a project that "would take ten years" but you simply don't understand that so, so, so many of us have given up on Canada BECAUSE it takes ten years to get something through the damned hearings, commissions, appeals, law suits, required re-hearings, required re-studies, required new law suits and all the rest of the damned nonsense. When a fair process could see the project proposed and completed in, say, four or five years. Soup to nuts. Total.
So much is involved in achieving perfection in not only providing a fair hearing to all sides but APPEARING to provide that right which inevitably allows pressure groups to appeal, not in an attempt at fairness but to use the law to frustrate, delay and ultimately deny.
A starting point would be to repeal some of the stupid laws implemented by the Face Painter. For example, the No More Pipelines Bill has insane requirements for such incredible "fairness" that it could never be achieved. Repeal that law and replace it with a fair system that can allow for reasonable consultations but with timelines that are reasonable.
Then, absolutely, have an interprovincial project. I will even propose one for you: Energy East. After hearings, etc. - remember, a reasonable timeline - the feds need to say that this is a project that is in the national interest and has been studied and consulted so it WILL proceed. And instruct lawyers to prepare declarations under the Peace, Order and Good Government clause.
But, such a sensible way of doing things will never occur in this wretched country which is why I and many others have given up on this country.
Helicopter money? What is that? Is that the money super wealthy tax dodgers are flying off in their helicopters to their private islands with due to Carney's cancelation of the capital gains wealth tax on the 1%?