Panda Politics

So PM Harper’s trip to mainland China has not been fruitless. Besides three billion dollars worth of contracts, small compared to the fruits of trade delegations from most of our trading rivals which are in the tens of billions, the announcement of the PRC loaning us two Giant Pandas is well, not insignificant! It is a loan mind you, not a gift, but it does infer a major diplomatic compliment being paid Canada. The cuddlies get to brave the cold of zoos in Toronto and Calgary for ten years. Lucky them. The Toronto loan is being announced for the second time, a favourite ploy of the Conservatives who milk good news stories for all their worth, counting on some supposed interminable amnesia of the electorate. As the relationship with Beijing thaws, further opening of the Pacific Gateway (a political construct which implies Canada will funnel increasing commodity volumes and ideas westward to Asia in preference to southward to the USA), a de facto Northern Gateway seems a looming reality. The latter is a specific pipeline project which would allow Alberta Oil Sands product to flow west through sensitive terrain to British Columbia and henceforward to Asia, China in particular. The political context in Canada that allows dubious projects like the latter to trump sustainable development is one being painted by the 2011 Census results. The land of the petro dollar, The West, is now where it is at politically, economically and demographically. As climate change becomes entrenched, Canada might soon become a zone where bamboo shoots will grow, allowing for us to feed the pandas with a homegrown diet instead of spending $200,000 annually to import their food. Meanwhile our oil companies eat, shit and will eventually leave when the oil runs out. Excuse the improper language.