Will Oil Prices really hit Dunderdale Govt. Projections?

As we watch the Muskrat fiasco continue to unfold - one important factor continues to be puzzling.

We already know the Dunderdale administration has been off on oil price projections over 1 year let alone 30-50 years. We also know that Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro has been off on need for power over the past 30 years - however we need them to be spot on now.

How about this headline?

U.S. set to overtake Saudi in oil output: IEA

By MarketWatch

LONDON--A shale oil boom means the U.S. will overtake Saudi Arabia as the world's largest oil producer by 2020, a radical shift that could profoundly transform not just the world's energy supplies, but also its geopolitics, the International Energy Agency said Monday.

In its closely watched annual World Energy Outlook, the IEA, which advises industrialized nations on their energy policies, said the global energy map, "is being redrawn by the resurgence in oil and gas production in the United States." 

The assessment is in stark contrast with last year, when it envisioned Russia and Saudi Arabia vying for the top position. 

"By around 2020, the United States is projected to become the largest global oil producer" and overtake Saudi Arabia for a time, the agency said. "The result is a continued fall in U.S. oil imports (currently at 20% of its needs) to the extent that North America becomes a net oil exporter around 2030." 

This major shift will be driven by the faster-than-expected development of hydrocarbon resources locked in shale and other tight rock that have just started to be unlocked by a new combination of technologies called hydraulic fracturing. 

According to Washington's Energy Information Administration, U.S. oil production has increased 7% to 10.76 million barrels a day since the IEA's last outlook a year ago. The agency's conclusions are partly backed by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, which last week acknowledged for the first time that shale oil would significantly diminish its share of the U.S. market. 

The group said the U.S. would import less than 2 million barrels a day in 2035, almost three-quarters less than it does today. That's not to say OPEC's role will be marginalized globally. The group's share of global production will increase from 42% today to 50% in 2035, with much of it going to Asia, according to the IEA.

Harper = Pavlov & Media = Dog

Robert Fife CTV's Ottawa Bureau Chief tweeted the following this morning:

Robert Fife ‏@RobertFife

PM Harper delivers major foreign policy speech in NYC & meets Palestinian and Israeli leaders but refuses to talk to Cdn media. 

Oh what a shock - Harper says no to Canada's media. Yet these media stations, papers, and reporters continue to cover whatever is thrown to them by the PMO. 

I think it's possible - based on Harper's actions - that he too may have been subject to behavioral study when he was a young and budding right wing fanatic. 

In either case Harper loves behavioral science and he loves his subjects of study - the media. 

Imagine going through a federal election campaign and stating that he would only answer 5 questions a day. Imagine telling the media he will not address them while calling them for a news conference. Yet this is the case time and time again. 

Harper started by recognizing the signals that caused media to respond. He changed that by not answering questions when media expected he would. He then went on to teach them that by covering  PMO releases and events they would be rewarded by a determined number of questions. It has almost become a competition among the journalists to see who Harper will recognize. 

Harper will - as he has already done with much of Canadiana - eliminate normal media relations and guide them into a White House briefing style of coverage. 

It is long since time that the journalists find the courage necessary to present Canadians with information and facts. If this means behavioral change in Stephen Harper so-be-it. The media must become intelligence scientists and the PM's behavior their subject of study. 

Canada has sunk to new lows as Harper lies and deceives without consequence and our children watch his office as something to aspire to. 

The country needs a dozen like Terry Milewski of the CBC - if not then a dozen who will stand behind him as he breaks Harper's Pavlovian experiment.

Go American all the way Harper, Toews, and MacKay

Vic, Peter, and Stephen want to be treated like Canadians - while they treat Canadian citizens like Americans. Not On!

Tell Vic Toews Everything was a social media revolt opposed to the Minister's proposed bill to give a free reign of investigation to law enforcement on ordinary Canadian Citizens. The online surveillance bill contained things that even the Minister was not aware of.

Putting aside for a moment that Toews should have resigned his portfolio based on his ignorance - Toews should have been prepared to come under extreme scrutiny by ordinary Canadians not used to this type of police state power.

So Toews, Peter MacKay and Stephen Harper are pushing an American agenda down our throats - the only problem is they don't want American back at them.

Toews was offended at his opponents taking cracks at his personal life and making public information - so public.

MacKay was offended by Canadians who questioned his privileged vacation flight from the Gander river - courtesy of Search and Rescue.

Harper is never really offended by anything - his steely blue lyin eyes reveal that his is a purpose of delivering the goods.

MacKay is a traitor - straight up - lied and almost single-handedly delivered the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada to the Reformers. He either is a straight-up liar or he was purchased to pay off debts accumulated during his campaign to lead the federal PC`s.

Toews and his public temper tantrum over the public release of public information is laughable - and I will tell you why. Mr. Toews and his gun slinging government are looking to breach the privacy of law abiding Canadians without so much as a warrant. At the same time they have killed the gun registry and are seeking to put more people in jail (tough on crime). What follows from here is in Stephen Harper's private little world - where his buddies seek to establish private prisons to be filled with non-violent offenders. Yes you and I will pay for the maximum security detail and the "entrepreneurs" will take the rest. Problem is they don't know if they have enough to fill their proposed private jails.Easy fix - put everybody in jail for a joint of weed.

So Mr. Toews, Mr. MacKay, and Mr. Harper - you want us to treat you like Canadians. Stay out of your private lives - be polite and not talk about your little indiscretions - while you get to treat us like Americans. Sorry - that's not how it works.

From now on I want to see ten years of your tax returns, I want the full deal on Toews and any others the same way the American people got to do the job on John Edwards. Let me see now John had affair with a household staffer and broke elections rules - fair game from now on Mr. Toews - you got the Canadian beat right out of me.

Peter Mackay - I want to know all about you and all the other girls every detail and I'd like to see what would happen to you in the USA if you let's say betrayed the Republicans and merged with the Libertarians. As for Harper - he is much more American that Michael Ignatieff ever was or could be and he will pay the piper.

In the Prime Minister's case we get to know about his last colonoscopy and whether or not he has polyps. what type of treatment he received, how the operation went - and the prognosis.

You people are a joke - you want to shove the stars and stripes down our maple leaf throats then be prepared for absolute scrutiny of every aspect of your personal lives. 

And while we are going American - please allow the American naval fleet to deal with foreign fishing trawlers. They'd be willing to call a war on that issue.

Suffer the Little Children - I'm waiting to hear Steve Kent's Voice

Last week we all watched the Fifth Estate do an expose on the Boy Scouts of America and Canada.

So when is enough - enough?

When do we start protecting the children and not the perpetrators of child abuse?

How many human beings must we sacrifice for religious and social organizations while attracting and then protecting even more pedophiles?

What does it take? 

The Fifth Estate reporter could not even get straight answers from the current CEO of Scouts Canada - further exasperating these worst of crimes. 

Now we are going to witness victims of these horrific deeds of twisted men - hide them in order that they may speak of what happened to them. 

There is absolutely no way that any victim should have to sign papers saying they will never speak if they accept a monetary settlement. Then again why would the Boy Scouts of Canada or the USA ever require victims to do this? 

Why would the churches require the same thing?

Are we now so desensitized that these continued abuses of children are not worth fighting to stop? 

These organizations should be charged with crimes against humanity. I am serious! What crime could be worse and how many victims would make them qualify? 

Here's the deal, many leaders of organizations religious and others have been raping children for decades. The response has been to protect and hide the perpetrators - let them loose to abuse even more children, force the victims into silence, and then forget about them as they continue to attract more children and pedophiles. 

Today the talk shows should be blocked with people demanding the truth - demanding that this stop and promising to stop financially and otherwise supporting organizations that allow the perpetual abuse of children. 

What is wrong with us? We think we are civilized? The Prime Minister of Canada concentrates on a long-gun registry while pedophiles are being protected by the "moral" groups. 

Politicians routinely lie these days and that is so successful we elect them to be Prime Ministers and Premiers. 

Just think about the message we are transmitting. These corporate crooks that essentially bankrupt countries were kept on and given a raise - while people lost their jobs, homes, and families. 

Right now I would like to hear MHA Steve Kent answer the questions for the Fifth Estate. As the 

Chair of the Board & Chief Commissioner for that organization - I want to know where he stands on giving the public the information it wants. 

Enough is enough and we have far exceeded the tolerance we should have shown. We condemn somebody for shoplifting or selling some weed. We condemn those who have incorrectly placed a fence post on our property. We condemn children who spray paint property. We condemn children who break a window or two. 

Makes you wonder really - what have we become?

Suffer the Little Children

Ignorance is Bliss - not in this case - the Real Stephen Harper

Important information - please read before voting:

If you are from Atlantic Canada, Quebec, a member of the Canadian Labour Congress, a woman, ethnic, a supporter of choice, or a liberal minded Canadian, or a Canadian period - please read. I have highlighted for emphasis.


Below - please take the time to read quotes from a speech Stephen Harper delivered as, then vice-president of the National Citizens Coalition, to a June 1997 Montreal meeting of the Council for National Policy, a right-wing U.S. think tank, and taken from the council's website:

Let's take the New Democratic Party, the NDP, which won 21 seats. The NDP could be described as basically a party of liberal Democrats, but it's actually worse than that, I have to say. And forgive me jesting again, but the NDP is kind of proof that the Devil lives and interferes in the affairs of men.

Some people point out that there is a small element of clergy in the NDP. Yes, this is true. But these are clergy who, while very committed to the church, believe that it made a historic error in adopting Christian theology.

The NDP is also explicitly a branch of the Canadian Labour Congress, which is by far our largest labour group, and explicitly radical.

However, our executive is the Queen, who doesn't live here. Her representative is the Governor General, who is an appointed buddy of the Prime Minister.

First, facts about Canada. Canada is a Northern European welfare state in the worst sense of the term, and very proud of it. Canadians make no connection between the fact that they are a Northern European welfare state and the fact that we have very low economic growth, a standard of living substantially lower than yours, a massive brain drain of young professionals to your country, and double the unemployment rate of the United States.

In terms of the unemployed, of which we have over a million-and-a-half, don't feel particularly bad for many of these people. They don't feel bad about it themselves, as long as they're receiving generous social assistance and unemployment insurance.

But the important point is that Canada is not a bilingual country. It is a country with two languages. And there is a big difference.

In fact, before the Reform Party really became a force in the late '80s, early '90s, the leadership of the Conservative party was running the largest deficits in Canadian history. They were in favour of gay rights officially, officially for abortion on demand. Officially -- what else can I say about them? Officially for the entrenchment of our universal, collectivized, health-care system and multicultural policies in the constitution of the country. At the leadership level anyway, this was a pretty liberal group. This explains one of the reasons why the Reform party has become such a power.

If you look at the surviving PC support, it's very much concentrated in Atlantic Canada, in the provinces to the east of Quebec. These are very much equivalent to the United States border states. They're weak economically. They have very grim prospects if Quebec separates. These people want a solution at almost any cost. And some of the solutions they propose would be exactly that.

For years, we elected Quebec prime ministers to deal with that, Quebec prime ministers who were committed federalists who would lead us out of the wilderness. For years, we have given concessions of various kinds of the province of Quebec, political and economic, to make them happier.

As long as there are exams, there will always be prayer in schools. 

The complete speech found here CTV

Is Kate running in Ottawa Centre? Is Wills running away? The Canadian Balderdash Corporation

Am I alone? Is anybody else sick of the money and human resources being used by CBC to cover the "wedding"?

Yesterday it trumped an amber alert - and today the weather for the wedding is trumping the potential floods on the Prairies.

They describe it as an "important" news story. It's an event - and events globally get some attention - but this is over the top. We are in the middle of a significant federal election - this affects the future of MY children - I am sure the Queen and Charles can take care of their own grandchildren and children.

Good on the UK they are gaining significant tourism dollars - at a time when their economy could use it. But that's it guys. The hype of the media - particularly our own public broadcaster - is over the top.

Where will they kiss?
Where is the dress?
Where is the honeymoon?
Where can I buy a Kate doll?
Why did Kate and Wills take their time getting engaged?
Will Kate wear a tiara? What tiara will it be?

Oh wait that's more than five questions - more than Stephen Harper agrees to answer.

There has been more scrutiny of every little detail of this wedding than of any issue of importance to the Canadian electorate. There are so many unanswered and worse unasked questions - we can ill afford to use over 50% of our broadcast time on the "wedding".

Just this morning - the actual cost of the F35 fighter jets had to wait until Heather Hiscox gave an unending report on the "wedding". Between the Stanley Cup Playoffs and the "wedding" - are we sure we have enough time to properly cover an election?

Meanwhile in the USA - where Canadians used 9 billion dollars on their Visa cards last year - do they even know we are having an election? They know where to find snowbirds when their economy needs a boost - or they can find us if they need a war partner - but our election?

The Canadian Balderdash Corporation as I have now renamed it - is our highly "protected" public broadcaster - and we are usually the ones fighting for it. 

Will we have affordable health care? Hang on - Kate is walking out of a door.

Will many of our seniors come out of poverty? Wait - somebody is having Tea at the palace.

Will post-secondary education be affordable for all of our youth? Hang on one sec. there are new pub tours.

Will our veterans get the care they need after returning from a tour or tours of duty? Oh oh a Palace Guard...

The "wedding" is an event - but it is blown completely out of proportion and for those who have no particular time for separating blue blood from commoners - it is extremely irrelevant.

The laws surrounding the succession of the throne - girl - boy Charles - Wills are getting more thorough examination than laws that govern our people on meaningful societal issues.

I just heard from Heather Hiscox - broadcasting from London - state that one Canadian reporter asked Harper what he thought about the laws on succession. Excuse me?

I think we the people of Canada get the importance of participating in our election process - now we need the Canadian Balderdash Corporation to get a life and deliver on its mandate.

Harper touts a "Green Canada" what he means is "Green Canadians"

Stephen Harper is touting that Canada will become a "world leader in the fight" against climate change.

This at the APEC Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Australia.

First of all you you have to get past the skepticism that Harper who was a real doubter - not that long ago - that human induced climate change was even real.

Then and far worse than this however - is his ability to give up on principles he claims to hold - for a vote. He either lied to get votes in Newfoundland and Labrador - Nova Scotia - and Saskatchewan before the last federal election or he gave up on staunchly held economic policy to get votes in Ontario and Quebec in the next election.

Stephen Harper is not that special - in fact he believes that breaking a promise to millions of people is not that big a deal - if it means he can form a majority government.

The truth is this self-proclaimed protector of democracy and champion of openness and accountability has done everything to shed that image.

Let's get to Newfoundland and Labrador - Nova Scotia - and Saskatchewan first:

To the Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador - before the last federal election - Harper wrote and signed this:

"We will remove non-renewable natural resource revenue from the equalization formula to encourage the development of economic growth in the non-renewable resource sectors across Canada."

Stephen Harper - Prime Minister of Canada - lied. It's as simple as that. And he did it to gain votes in the last election or to gain votes in the next election.

To make matters worse - the feds and Harper tried to blame the provinces for his lie - by saying the provinces could not agree. Harper knew that before he made the promise and the changes he did make to the equalization formula do not enjoy the agreement by the provinces either. Further the equalization program is unilaterally federal. Adding more fuel to the fire - Harper is an economist and fully understood the promise he made - and fully understands the negative financial repercussions to Nova Scotia - Saskatchewan - and Newfoundland and Labrador.

Let's throw into this mix the changes to Income Trusts - which once again the Prime Minister lied about. This lie impacted seniors and their retirement funds from coast to coast to coast.

The Mr. accountability and protector of democracy - hauls a newly re-elected Liberal (David Emerson) a deceiver in his own right - and places him in a Conservative Cabinet - over long-standing Reform/Alliance/PC members who gave Harper his wings to begin with. Then because major regions in Montreal did not elect a Conservative - he drags up multiple-time defeated candidate Michael Fortier - still unelected - and places him in Cabinet ahead of duly elected members. This is the face of Prince Edward Island remaining without direct representation in Cabinet as the Province did not elect any Conservatives. So a city can have a person dragged into Cabinet but a province cannot?

Now Harper is out trying to "con"vince other nations that Canada will do this or do that on climate change ad greenhouse gas emissions? Let me say to people in these other nations - that anything Harper promised to do - means nothing if Harper needs a vote in Alberta for a majority.

The only thing remotely "green" about Harper is relative to anybody who believes a word he says anymore.

Hershey Kiss(off)

Yay for Free Trade - Yay for Free Trade - Yay for Free Trade.

Another 500 jobs lost to Mexico from Ontario - this time it's the Hershey Kiss(off).

Cheaper to do the chocolates in Mexico - I wonder why? Must be the power rates - or maybe its the tax equation - it can't be the labour costs - because free trade was supposed to raise the salaries of Mexicans not lower wages in the United States or Canada - right?

I'm still holding my breath to see what priorities Campbell Soup is going to recommend to the Government of Canada (undermining Canadian values with some warm chicken soup) - or wait the healthcare system might be restructured by Chevron (greasing up private sector delivery) - or wait our education system taking recommendations from Fed-Ex (maybe a speedier delivery)- or wait how about our energy grid getting designed by Wal-Mart (maybe some falling prices or electrical wires).

Let's get a grip here - corporations that have no ability to vote should not be setting our nation's priorities.

They have designed free trade - to move our businesses to Mexico - with our permission - while telling us things are great. What's up with China by the way? Everybody wants to do business there - but they do not have to commit to democracy or human rights - or an open justice system. They can be as insular and undemocratic as they like - but western nations are tripping over each other to get in there.

Free Trade is:

Losing our jobs to Mexico - to enable our corporations to make more money.

Federal Government is:

The mechanism for corporations to change legislation to allow them to move our jobs to Mexico so they can make more money.

Canadian Voter is:

The mechanism for the Liberals and Conservatives to choose which of them can move our jobs to Mexico so Corporations can make more profit.

The best Politicians money can buy...

So you want to talk to your MP or even the Prime Minister or a Federal Cabinet Minister - no problem. What Joyce Hancock and the women that staged a protest in the fed status of women's office - were missing - was an elite membership in the Council of the Americas.

Instead of being escorted out by the police they could have been meeting with Bev Oda - they could have been dining right next to her at the head table.

Sometimes you know - we have to check that our combined intelligence even registers on the scale. How stupid or lazy we are - is measured by our inability to direct those people we elect and pay to represent us.

The Council of the Americas is:

A business organization whose members share a common commitment to free trade and open markets throughout the Americas. Our programming and advocacy aim to inform, encourage, and promote free and integrated markets for the benefit of the companies that comprise our membership, as well as of the United States and all the people of the Americas.

The Council supports these policies in the belief that they provide an effective means of achieving the economic growth and prosperity on which the business interests of its members depend.

If one becomes an elite member the benefits are:
Elite Level
- Exclusive invitations to the majority of small, private programs, events, and conferences with world leaders
- Preferred Head Table seating at select programs, events and conferences
- Complimentary admission to the annual Latin American Conference
- Complimentary admission to the annual Latin American Economic and Financial
Predictions Conference
- Complimentary admission to the annual NABC Plenary (held every other year in Washington, DC)
- Private annual briefing by Council of the Americas/Americas Society (AS/COA) President and Senior Staff to Corporate Member Board of Directors or Senior Management Team
- Opportunity to rent AS/COA HQ facilities at a reduced member rate plus overhead expenses, once per year, based on availability, and thereafter at member rates.
Now Joyce and the women who joined here were only ordinary Canadians and "voters" because you see corporations can't vote - and apparently they don't need to.

So last week we witnessed Peter MacKay tripping over himself and he stood next to Condoleeza again - and Stockwell Day - almost unable to control his excitement being with the Corporate Elite and officials of the US and Mexican governments.

When asked by a reporter when - let's say ordinary Canadians would get to speak to this North American Union concept - Stockwell - shoulders shifting all over the place - squeaked something about "other venues for that". At least Lou Dobbs had the guts to call it as it was - an elite gathering of politicians and corporations scheming in private. He at least called it dispicable. Our news people - appeared to be excited enough just to be included.

Anyway the group was reviewing a report prepared for them by the North American Competitiveness Council (NACC)- now who are they you ask...

Well they are:
The Security and Prosperity Partnership of North America (SPP) provides the framework to ensure that North America is the safest and best place to live and do business. It includes ambitious security and prosperity programs to keep our borders closed to terrorism yet open to trade.

The SPP recognizes that our three great nations are bound by a shared belief in freedom, economic opportunity, and strong democratic institutions. Since June 2005, the Canadian, Mexican and U.S. governments have worked under its auspices to strengthen economic growth and competitiveness and enhance security in North America.

That’s where the NACC came in.

The three governments established the NACC to collect guidance from the private sector. Members were charged with helping the governments focus their efforts by applying a cost-benefit analysis to the ideas on the table in order to “prioritize the priorities.”

So who is determining the priorities of Canadians?

Representing Canada are:

- Dominic D’Alessandro, President and CEO, Manulife Financial
- Paul Desmarais, Jr., Chairman and Co-CEO, Power Corporation of
Canada
- David A. Ganong, President, Ganong Bros. Limited
- Richard L. George, President and CEO, Suncor Energy Inc.
- E. Hunter Harrison, President and CEO, Canadian National Railway Company
- Linda Hasenfratz, CEO, Linamar Corporation
- Michael Sabia, President and CEO, Bell Canada Enterprises (BCE)
- James A. Shepherd, President and CEO, Canfor Corporation
- Annette Verschuren, President, The Home Depot Canada
- Richard E. Waugh, President and CEO, The Bank of Nova Scotia

Representing the United States are:

- Campbell Soup Company
- Chevron Corporation
- Ford Motor Company
- FedEx Corporation
- General Electric Company
- General Motors Corp.
- Kansas City Southern
- Lockheed Martin Corporation
- Merck & Co., Inc.
- Mittal Steel USA
- New York Life Insurance Company
- The Procter & Gamble Company (joined in 2007)
- UPS
- Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.
- Whirlpool Corporation

Then there is a similar list from Mexico...

This is what is setting priorities for our government. And these few lousy numbers are kicking the crap out of democracy and denying our participation in this process. As parents we are supposed to have an innate need to protect our children. Well the typical lazy "lead me to wherever" is trumping the basic parental responsibilities in spades.
So if you got money - you have politicians whenever and wherever you want.