The Liberals Don’t Buy Oil: Private Companies Do #ableg #abpoli #cdnpoli

The question keeps coming up.  “When will the Liberals stop buying Saudi oil?” Newsflash: The federal government is not buying any oil.  The federal government, Liberal or Conservative, does/did not buy oil from Saudi Arabia.  Guess who does? Canadian refinery companies.

Lind – Artisanz.com

Irving Oil, the company who essentially owns eastern Canada (according to people who live there) buys Saudi oil.  In fact, they are so happy with Saudi oil that when Energy East was being promoted, Irving Oil made a very specific statement to Alberta.  “We will add Western Canadian crude to our portfolio as the economics dictate, but probably not at the expense of our Saudi barrels,” remarked the President of Irving Oil.

The bandwagon against Saudi oil is getting full but for some reason the angst is against the federal government rather than private companies for buying it.  Danielle Smith, on her uniquely conservative radio show, said “now is the time to fight back against Saudi oil” as if the federal government had any say.  But this could be one of those conservative traps they want non-conservatives to fall into.

Because conservatives don’t want anyone, let alone the federal government and especially the Liberals, to interfere with free enterprise.  But that is exactly what they are asking the federal government to do; interfere in the free market.

Irving Oil was very clear when they said they would decide.  Certainly, they could be asking for a Western Crude discount, but in any case, they want cheap oil.  If they can get it from Canada (about a third of what they refine now), they will.  If they can get it cheaper from Saudi Arabia, then screw you Alberta.  Or something like that.

All for one and one for one.

Can we take a moment and bow down to the free-market enterprise system that would rather save a few dollars than take a stand against a regime that is now squeezing Canada by the snowballs? Because that’s the conservative thing to do, apparently; blame the government when private industry doesn’t give a damn.

And if Trudeau added tariffs to Saudi oil, how happy do we think a company, who owns most of eastern Canada (according to those who live there), would be with the federal government?  And would it, in fact, lead to more animosity toward a government for interfering with the free-market system that Canadian companies so enjoy?

That scenario is likely neither here nor there.  Conservatives don’t care if Trudeau paints himself into a corner and frankly, neither do I.  But I see it, and I see what the outcome will be.  So, hey, conservatives, could you figure out what you stand for and stop trying to play “gotcha politics” with Canadian businesses and the Canadian government in favour of foreign interests?  Because you’re really pissing the rest of us off.

This article contains both fact and opinion.  Links to supporting documentation below.

Deirdre Mitchell-MacLean
Content Director/Writer

[email protected], @Mitchell_AB on twitter

Sources:

https://business.financialpost.com/commodities/energy/irving-oils-president-says-it-would-keep-saudi-imports-even-if-energy-east-goes-ahead

Danielle Smith: Now is the time for Canada to fight back against Saudi Arabia

 

1 reply »

  1. Someone finally states the obvious. Irving doesn’t have to buy only ethical oil.