Most of us were wating for confirmation and how quickly it came. Due to the good graces of Greenpeace and an Access to Information application we now have confirmed what has seemed obvious: in politics choices have to be made and ones allies have to be supported. The Federal Government has made the decision to throw its lot in with the Petroleum industry over the concerns of citizens regarding the various proposed pipelines.

As reported a couple of weeks ago Minister Oliver and then the Prime Minister himself began the process of targeting and villifying environmentalists, social activists and a host of aboriginal leaders who are questioning both the pipeline projects and the possible effects of those projects on the environment and the communities that are dependant on the lands through which the pipelines move oil and gas.

On the 26th and 27th of January Nathan Vanderclippe of the Globe and Mail reported on the contents of, ‘a draft diplomatic strategy outlining ways to shape European perceptions of Canada’s oil sands… In the document, environmental organizations and aboriginal groups are shown as “adversaries.” Industry associations, energy companies and the National Energy Board – which is supposed to serve as an independent body evaluating new projects – are listed as “allies.”’

If it were not enough that the government strategy paper clearly targets Canadian Citizens as enemies of the Harper Goverment, we now have Environment Minister Peter Kent, hearalding a new partnership between the majority Conservative Government and the “Captains of Industry” who gathered at a meeting of the Calgary Chamber of Commerce.

The Minister, clearly warming to his friends, explained, “Environment Canada is a strategic partner to everyone in this room – everyone who does business in Calgary, everyone who does business in Alberta, everyone who does business in Canada,” he said.

“I’m not here to kill your buzz,” he said, adding that “we’ve reviewed and renewed our approach as a government department” to focus on efficiency and expediency – both inside the department, and in its focus on allowing industry to create jobs and investment.”

In other words, the policies of this majority government, which received about a third of the votes cast by approximately 50% of those eligible to vote, has decided that what is good for Canadians is the corporate agenda led by the scions of the Petrolium Industry. We shall now see engraved on the boardroom tables that dot the corporate headquarters of Canadian Petroleum Companies and on the cabinet table in Ottawa, these words, “protecting the Public Interest means protecting Petroleum Interests.”  Rather than the Common Good of the many we now have enshrined the favoured good of the few.

This is no slight correction in the development of policy, it is a fundamental and dangerous change in the raison d’etre of the role of government. No longer is the Government of Canada playing the role of careful steward of our collective resources and a protector of our people and lands. We now have a government committed to furthering the corporate agenda regardless of the effects of that agenda on vulnerable peoples and lands.

Canadians must not be passive to this assault on our rights and freedoms. Any and all governments that repudiate the ” Common Good” must be seen as the true enemies of the people. We must be both active in responding to the needs of our fellow citizens and vigilant to protect our common interests. Only in this way will democracy be preserved.