[Canada] Canadian Politics Redux

[Bauer]

They've been studying the delta port expansion for ages, I think it's close now but they aren't forecasting the need for that capacity until the 2030s.  So I doubt port capacity on the west coast is an issue, and they seem to be expanding as needed already.

I think the key is efficiency too though and maybe there are other investments that can maximize the value.

[crazy canuck]

Alberta is starting to ban books from school libraries.

All books with explicit sexual content will be removed. But libraries will also no longer be permitted to provide students in Grade 9 or below with material that contains non-explicit sexual content, such as the depiction of a sexual act that is indirect or unclear. Non-sexual content – referencing menstruation, puberty or romantic relationships, including hand-holding and kissing – will be allowed.

No Romeo and Juliet

But are they going to ban the bible too?

[Valmy]

So happily married parents are not allowed in Alberta children's books? But I guess abusive parents are allowed so long as it is only physical and emotional abuse.

[crazy canuck]

That's fine, if they have no kids, that implies the stork paid them a visit.  And everyone knows what that means.

[viper37]

 


The Canadians Are Furious Trump accomplished what was once considered impossible: Our northern neighbors have united against us.


Fun read, but nothing really informative that you haven't read before.  But the image fits the text, and it will fuel your Canadian nationalism, the one you thought you never had, since it's such a vile word.

[Valmy]

Canadian and Mexican nationalism always had a large aspect of being anti-American. Probably based on us invading them maybe. But in any case we had mostly gotten everybody to see that cooperation made us all stronger and for about 30 years those anti-American aspects went into remission for the most part.

But thanks to Trump they are back with a vengeance and who knows if we can tame them again.

And since Americans are arrogant jerks we barely notice or care despite this being a fairly disastrous development for us economically and diplomatically. Everybody, even our top two trading partners, are beneath the notice of us. It's kind of nuts.

[viper37]

Canadian and Mexican nationalism always had a large aspect of being anti-American. Probably based on us invading them maybe. But in any case we had mostly gotten everybody to see that cooperation made us all stronger and for about 30 years those anti-American aspects went into remission for the most part.

But thanks to Trump they are back with a vengeance and who knows if we can tame them again.

And since Americans are arrogant jerks we barely notice or care despite this being a fairly disastrous development for us economically and diplomatically. Everybody, even our top two trading partners, are beneath the notice of us. It's kind of nuts.

That sums it up nicely.

Even most Democrats don't seem to notice it.

There was Congress/Senate trade mission not so long ago.  Even Republicans came here, begging us to come back, visit them, "We're not so bad, we can trade together".  Fuck that.  From Dems, I could have understood.  From GOP Senators??

[crazy canuck]

They were kind enough to let us know that they we should start taking our forest fires seriously

[viper37]

Canada, don't make the same mistake with LNG that Australia did

Gifted article.

For decades, the populous eastern states of Australia had an abundant supply of low-cost gas. That all changed in 2015 when a few corporations started exporting vast amounts of liquefied natural gas, exposing Australians to high global gas prices. The result was a tripling of wholesale gas prices in the country, and a huge transfer of wealth from Australian households and businesses to the handful of gas corporations to which we had given control of our resources.

The gas corporations convinced our governments that if they were allowed to develop the vast onshore reserves in the state of Queensland for export, we would experience enormous economic benefits, while gas prices would remain low.

None of it was true. Instead, large areas of our beautiful country have been transformed into industrial gas fields and we now have expensive gas, rolling gas shortage fears and few economic benefits.

It appears Canada may be making the same mistake.

Prior to 2015, the wholesale price of gas in the country was under $4 a gigajoule (all figures in Australian dollars unless otherwise noted). Gas producers couldn't ramp up prices because of the laws of supply and demand; we had an ample supply of low-cost gas for the limited domestic market.

But the opening of gas export terminals meant the Australian market was now a small part of the huge global market, where gas prices were three times higher than at home. Gas exporters were able to force Australians to compete with Asian customers who were prepared to pay much more than the long-term price in Australia.

Not only that, these projects were approved on the basis that producers would only ship out gas from onshore fields developed specifically for export. However, the liquefied natural gas producers overestimated, or perhaps overstated, their export reserves. 
They began exporting domestic gas as well, further tightening at-home supply, driving up prices and risking, or arguably engineering, potential domestic shortages.

Because producers target gas that is easier to extract at a cheaper price, they have exhausted vast quantities of Australia's lower-cost gas – they export the equivalent of two years' worth of our total domestic gas consumption every year, leaving Australians with the remaining, more expensive gas. 

The tripling of wholesale gas prices to more than $12 a gigajoule happened within a few years of the country venturing into LNG exports, something Canada has just begun to do. Then, during the 2022 global energy crisis, our exposure to global gas prices, as a result of LNG exports, led Australian gas prices to triple a second time to around $50 a gigajoule. LNG producers exported large volumes of uncontracted gas to the global spot market, while throttling supply to the domestic market.

This has devastated gas-dependent manufacturing businesses and driven up both gas and electricity prices for households, while LNG exporters made enormous windfall profits.

Gas prices have also risen in the United States – the world's largest exporter of LNG – where U.S. households paid 52 per cent more for natural gas between 2016 and 2023, as LNG exports surged, according to data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration. In fact, residential gas prices reached their highest level in states such as West Virginia and Ohio, where gas is produced.

In Canada, Alberta and B.C. produce 98 per cent of Canada's natural gas. Natural gas accounts for 41 per cent of Canada's total 
energy supply, with two-thirds of Canadians using it in 7.6 million end-use locations across the country. British Columbians, for example, have been paying approximately C$2 per gigajoule for domestically-produced gas.

Petronas mulls LNG Canada expansion as competition looms from Alaska

LNG exports exposed Australians to high global gas prices, allowed gas producers to price gouge us for our own gas, and have drained us of our low-cost gas reserves. As Canadian LNG reaches international markets, I fear people in Canada will start paying world market prices to buy gas for manufacturing, heating and cooking – just like we do in Australia.

The Australian example provides another warning. Gas price increases as a result of LNG exports have also driven up electricity prices within the country. In 2022, the global gas price shock led to sharp increases in the cost of gas-fired electricity generation, which was a major factor in the unprecedented suspension of the National Electricity Market.

In Canada's case, to the extent that LNG is powered by electricity rather than gas, the venture will require an enormous new capacity of electricity generation – and someone will have to pay to build it. Australia's experience suggests it is unlikely to be the LNG industry that pays.

Canadians should be aware of how they, too, will be affected by LNG exports. Don't make the same mistake Australia did.

[crazy canuck]

Oh look, Trump is upset his actions have consequences:

Canadians avoiding travel to the United States and banning American alcohol are among the reasons U.S. President Donald Trump thinks they are "nasty" to deal with, the U.S. ambassador to Canada said Monday

Viper, the person who wrote that article doesn't seem to know that our domestic natural gas prices are regulated, and the hydro power for the LNG sites is almost finished, so we are not making the same mistake.

[Crazy_Ivan80]

would be nice if us Europeans had people working to get us lower energy prices, but over here they seem to think that high prices and the resulting energy poverty are good things.

[viper37]

Oh look, Trump is upset his actions have consequences:

Canadians avoiding travel to the United States and banning American alcohol are among the reasons U.S. President Donald Trump thinks they are "nasty" to deal with, the U.S. ambassador to Canada said Monday

Viper, the person who wrote that article doesn't seem to know that our domestic natural gas prices are regulated, and the hydro power for the LNG sites is almost finished, so we are not making the same mistake.

I'm not too familiar with this.  I've posted this for discussion, because I've read recently that natural gas prices had risen since the elimination of the consumer carbon tax. And Deloitte is predicting a further rise, up to 60%.

[HVC]

I thought the carbon tax is what raises the prices. That's what the lobbyists told me. They wouldn't lie, right?

[crazy canuck]

I'm not too familiar with this.  I've posted this for discussion, because I've read recently that natural gas prices had risen since the elimination of the consumer carbon tax. And Deloitte is predicting a further rise, up to 60%.

link? I doubt very much that the BC Utility Commission is going to increase the consumer price of natural gas by 60%

[crazy canuck]

I thought the carbon tax is what raises the prices. That's what the lobbyists told me. They wouldn't lie, right?

The elimination of the carbon tax in BC reduced the consumer price of natural gas by about $30 per month on average.