To Joe Oliver, minister of natural resources:
Recommendations for the Keystone and Gateway pipeline projects.
I strongly believe that forcing the oil companies hand to build more upgraders in Alberta will be a huge win-win precedent by our Conservative government as opposed to building either pipeline.
Just think about it.
If we had one or two more upgraders, we could manufacture an unbelievable amount of value-added products to use at home and export.
Products that Canadians can be proud of and have better quality than products from China. We all realize the quality of China-made goods.
The manpower hours would be astronomical to build these upgraders and spinoff jobs and products also. This can be a huge made-in-Canada solution. Our manufacturing sector would explode.
By doing this, we would not have to beg, borrow or steal our sovereignty away from the First Nations or those tree hugging, do-gooder envrionmentalists groups. This is a win-win.
By not extending the pipeline to Asia this way, we would not have to bring to surface our real feelings about doing this amount of business with a society we would not condone at home. No sense in being a turncoat when our true feelings should guide us through life and maintain our world image.
Besides all this truth, we can not afford a catastrophe on land or sea, now or in the future.
As far as the Keystone pipeline, let the Americans continue to buy their oil from Saudi Arabia until such time as war will cut them off.
I believe the Americans would rather rape and pillage natural resources from all the countries in the world and leave theirs until last. There is no reason other than their protectionist ways why they won't completely develop the Bakken oil reserve.
They will use the free trade agreement to take from us what they want, when they want. Mark my words.
Please do the right thing. I am 59 years old with a bad back, but if I have to protest in Ottawa or during the next election, I will.
Cal Wiebe,
Winfield