The leader of the Bloc Québécois, Yves-François Blanchet, is opposed to the use of energy, and especially threats to cut off its supply, as a negotiating lever against the Americans in the trade war which is looming ahead. the horizon.
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However, it is an option that the government of Justin Trudeau nor all the prime ministers have not ruled out. François Legault has repeatedly repeated that pricing of hydroelectricity cannot be ruled out.
“It’s a bad idea that, in my opinion, lives because it is electorally spectacular. It’s like showing off biceps that you don’t have,” explained the Bloc leader in an interview with The Journal.
The only one to clearly oppose it is Danielle Smith, Premier of Alberta, who plays the black sheep in the matter.
If Canada cuts its exports of oil or hydroelectricity, the Americans could more easily turn to other sources of energy and Quebec, like Canada, could lose the confidence of its best customer, believes Mr. Blanchet.
-He believes that imposing an export tariff is “less worse” than cutting energy exports, but it will have “somewhat the same effect”.
“Your ability to negotiate an electricity export contract with New England is directly dependent on the price of your kilowatt. If you impose a rate that increases the price, you are less competitive. And if your client knows that this is going to happen, your future negotiations will be more difficult.”
The leader of the sovereignist party does not believe that the Trump administration will impose tariffs of 25%, as Mr. Trump repeated on the evening of his inauguration.
“Mr. Trump will probably come up with something else, targeted sectoral tariffs, but not cross-cutting tariffs of 25% for either Canada or Mexico. And we will react with other prices to what he puts on the table.”
Banking on the exploitation and boosted export of Alberta oil is “no”.
For Mr. Blanchet, there is no question that Ottawa nor Alberta will pass “pipelines through the gorge” so that Quebec becomes “the carpet on which we wipe our feet to send oil to ‘to the Atlantic coast’.
The Energy East pipeline project was also abandoned after significant outcry from Quebec. Mr. Blanchet does not believe that social acceptability has changed significantly since then.
“In purely economic terms: few temporary jobs to have a permanent pipe across the territory of Quebec with all the environmental risks that this implies along the route and with the impact on global warming which is due to the exploitation oil sands of Western Canada.
