In the world of professional wrestling, ‘“kayfabe” is the unspoken pact between performers to maintain the illusion of conflict, even as they cooperate toward a scripted outcome.
There’s more than a little kayfabe in Canadian politics these days. In Alberta, Danielle Smith has embraced her role as the heel, threatening to break up the country unless she gets a pipeline.
In B.C., David Eby plays the babyface, scolding Smith for her “bad behaviour,” begging the ref not to reward “separatist premiers” at the expense of “our pristine north coast”.
For now, Mark Carney is wearing the referee’s uniform. But they all work for the same promotion. And they are all cooperating toward the same goal: increasing oil and gas exports.
The problem is that global investment has shifted decisively to renewable energy. No private sector proponent wants to shoulder all the risk of either an LNG or oil tanker megaterminal.
Since every Canadian province, and the feds, are in a budget deficit, the politicians are trying to divvy up a limited pool of public money to make these projects happen.
Eby is desperate for LNG Canada Phase 2, or Ksi Lisims LNG, to reach a final investment decision this year. Either project likely needs billions in federal loans to reach a green light.
Smith is equally desperate to show progress on an oil pipeline to the B.C. coast. Despite having no route and no proponent, she’s promised Albertans that construction will start next year.
After meeting with Eby in Vancouver this week, Carney agreed to negotiate with the B.C. government, to figure out their price for dropping opposition to Smith’s oil tanker project.
But outside the wrestling ring of Canadian politics, there’s a real world these actors don’t control. There are Indigenous governments older than Canada, and laws that must be followed.
There’s growing anger from Canadians at the idea of giving our tax dollars to American billionaires and foreign oil companies, instead of funding projects that make our lives better.
And there’s a change in how the world generates and stores energy, which grows more real every month. That’s why Eby, Smith and Carney are all racing to lock in funding for fossil fuels.
It’s our money. If we can stop our politicians from giving it away to the vultures of global capital – even just for a few more months – the curtain may close on new oil and LNG projects.
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