We heard this week that the Canadian government will absolutely not allow the sale of our natural resource companies to foreign governments with lousy human rights. Except of course for this time, but not again...we think. Canada just approved the multi-billion dollar sale of oil and gas giant Nexen to China’s state-owned CNOOC. This despite the fact that in polls Canadians opposed the deal.
To be fair, some are hailing this as walking a diplomatic "fine line," while others accuse the Prime Minister of stumbling around like a drunk failing a sobriety test. Still others say that tassurances there will be no more approvals sound rather hollow.
In a December 10th piece Andrew Coyne begins:
See, the thing about Solomon is, he never actually cut the baby in half.
Nevertheless, the prime minister’s split decision on foreign takeovers is being praised as Solomonic in some circles.
But then, for some people cutting the baby in half — you can have the head and one of the shoulders, but the rest of it you get only in exceptional circumstances — is always the right decision.
Because, you see, it’s a compromise, and compromise shows maturity, and maturity is the beginning of wisdom, and, well, it’s a compromise.
God forbid he’d decided it on principle.
I'm a sucker for anyone who employs a biblical allusion but this interesting from a faith standpoint. Our United Church General Council opposed the building of a pipeline to the British Columbia coast to siphon Alberta bitumen off to China. But what about selling the whole oily farm?
Any thoughts about the sale of Nexen? Is it all a bit confusing?
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