[LINK] "Ontario's McGuinty surprised comments caught heat in the West"
CBC's coverage of the consequences of the Ontario premier's ill-timed speculations about the possibility of Canada's oil-driven currency precipitating a nation-wide case of "Dutch disease"--a high, even overvalued currency making industrial exports uncompetitive--is worth reading in full. Canadian regionalism: a force to watch out for?
Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty tried to turn down the heat generated by his comments earlier in the week, about preferring a lower dollar to a growing oil and gas sector in Western Canada.
McGuinty admitted he was "a bit surprised" by the extent of the blowback from his comments Monday, when he said Canada's high "petro-dollar" was bad for Ontario manufacturers and exporters.
"I think I should clarify ... we are very, very proud of the work that is being done by Canadians in every province and territory to strengthen our country," McGuinty told reporters Wednesday.
"We have a strong sense of partnership with Canadians from coast to coast to coast."
The mea culpa wasn't enough for Alberta Premier Alison Redford.
Her position is that the entire Canadian economy, and Ontario in particular, benefits from the oilsands.
[. . .]
Redford, a Progressive Conservative whose party will head to the polls in the coming weeks, has had an ally in this spat in the form of Saskatchewan's Premier Brad Wall. Wall said Tuesday that the Ontario premier was being "unnecessarily divisive."
Editorial writers across the country also took McGuinty to task for being "ungracious" in his response to Redford's request that Ontario and Quebec speak up for the oilsands.
Although he never apologized for Monday's comments, there was a hint McGuinty regretted having said that given a choice between a lower dollar or a growing oil and gas sector in the West, he'd take the lower dollar.
"It can be difficult in this kind of context to convey exactly what you want to say," said McGuinty. "I work in real time. So sometimes I may not self-edit before I go to press, so to speak, unlike the luxury you good people enjoy."/blockquote>
Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty tried to turn down the heat generated by his comments earlier in the week, about preferring a lower dollar to a growing oil and gas sector in Western Canada.
McGuinty admitted he was "a bit surprised" by the extent of the blowback from his comments Monday, when he said Canada's high "petro-dollar" was bad for Ontario manufacturers and exporters.
"I think I should clarify ... we are very, very proud of the work that is being done by Canadians in every province and territory to strengthen our country," McGuinty told reporters Wednesday.
"We have a strong sense of partnership with Canadians from coast to coast to coast."
The mea culpa wasn't enough for Alberta Premier Alison Redford.
Her position is that the entire Canadian economy, and Ontario in particular, benefits from the oilsands.
[. . .]
Redford, a Progressive Conservative whose party will head to the polls in the coming weeks, has had an ally in this spat in the form of Saskatchewan's Premier Brad Wall. Wall said Tuesday that the Ontario premier was being "unnecessarily divisive."
Editorial writers across the country also took McGuinty to task for being "ungracious" in his response to Redford's request that Ontario and Quebec speak up for the oilsands.
Although he never apologized for Monday's comments, there was a hint McGuinty regretted having said that given a choice between a lower dollar or a growing oil and gas sector in the West, he'd take the lower dollar.
"It can be difficult in this kind of context to convey exactly what you want to say," said McGuinty. "I work in real time. So sometimes I may not self-edit before I go to press, so to speak, unlike the luxury you good people enjoy."/blockquote>