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OTTAWA CITIZEN LETTER TO EDITOR

Morgan Duchesney: 2008

Canadian Oil Self-sufficiency Equals Security and Prosperity

Newly minted Foreign Affairs minister Lawrence Cannon recently expressed his fear that “revisiting NAFTA”, the controversial trade deal with the U.S. would, “…threaten [Canadian] oil sales to the U.S. His fears are somewhat justified, but only in the narrow confines of the existing deal, which was designed to be flexible. It is not heresy to suggest that Canada needs new markets for its surplus crude oil and refined petroleum products.

Under the current NAFTA regime Canada exports crude oil to the U.S. where it is processed, distributed and sold. Canada could easily achieve energy self-sufficiency and export only its surplus petroleum products if it expanded its limited domestic refining facilities. I wonder why this capacity remains so limited? Imagine the economic benefits and enhanced security of Canadian oil self-sufficiency. Instead, under NAFTA, Canada must export crude oil to the U.S. which forces Canada to rely on capricious sources like the Middle East.

It disturbs me to think our so-called leaders in politics and business would sign a deal that undercuts our potential for oil self-sufficiency for the apparent short-term benefit of the Canadian oil industry. Who else but the oil industry could support such a myopic energy policy? Canadians have been led to believe that a firm stand on preserving our oil reserves would cause the U.S. to punish us in some way. The U.S. respects strength so let’s take a chance and assert ourselves with the world's number one energy consumer.