Stupid to the Last Drop by William Marsden

Author:William Marsden [Marsden, William]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-0-307-37031-0
Publisher: Knopf Canada
Published: 2008-06-16T16:00:00+00:00

Bribery is another method Alberta has for dealing with the opposition. In 2005, Alberta tried to buy off Quebec.

Quebec’s hydroelectric energy dams make the province the cleanest economy in the country. For this reason Quebec supports Kyoto and has publicly contested Alberta’s opposition to the treaty. Quebec also has opposed the federal government’s offer to pay Alberta billions of dollars in compensation for cleaning up its pollution while not offering Quebec similar compensation for the cost of dam construction. In November 2005, Alberta saw an opportunity at least to soften Quebec’s point of view, and maybe even create an ally.

During the 2005 Kyoto conference in Montreal, Alberta’s environment minister, Guy Boutilier, sought out Tom Mulcair, who at the time was his opposite number in Quebec. Few words were exchanged, but Boutilier took the opportunity to slip Mulcair a handwritten note. Mulcair read it quickly, smiled politely at Boutilier and then stuck it in his pocket.

The note offered to funnel billions of Alberta’s energy dollars through Quebec brokers and the Montreal Stock Exchange in exchange for Quebec’s support of Alberta’s position. “Recent media reports has (sic) positioned Quebec vs Alberta on this file. Considering our Premiers are good friends … (sic) We may want to discuss a couple of positive initiatives relative to finance and the Montreal Exchange with the billions Alberta industry has,” Boutilier wrote. He ended the note with a cheery: “Let’s Talk!” and signed his name.

Mulcair, who was and still is a committed supporter of Kyoto, didn’t have to ask about the quid pro quo; the fact that Boutilier gave the note to Quebec’s environment minister spoke volumes. What particularly irritated Mulcair was the invocation of an alleged friendship between Klein and Quebec premier Jean Charest. It signalled Mulcair to “get out of my way, get out of here.”

“I knew exactly what was going on,” he said. “He was telling us to stop talking about greenhouse gas emissions and take the pill that he would give to us.”

For Mulcair, it was a brief, furtive exchange during a busy week at the conference. He says he never followed it up. But he kept the note as a reminder of how Alberta does business.

I tried to set up an interview with Boutilier to discuss the many environmental issues facing the province as well as question him about the intent of his note to Mulcair. Initially, his staffers appeared eager. But when I emailed them a copy of Boutilier’s note they immediately declined my request for an interview.

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