Building new refineries is something that has been suggested for years now as well as refineries for our minerals. My question is: why hasn’t it been done? It seems the big oil companies are more interested in a quick buck for crude with the fewest people employed, rather than investing money into the economy.

There is a new refinery being built in Edmonton right now.

There have been 30 refineries shut down in Canada since 1970. This would hardly be the case if there was a refining capacity problem.

It seems its more of a question of where they want this oil refined,.

It’s all about making money. Where is it cheaper to refine? Including the raw materials, power, gas, people , tax incentives etc.

These companies are making billions in profits a year and do they care about the consumer ? Of course not, that’s why when there is a long weekend prices go up, and why because they can. Someone hiccups in Saudi Arabia and it’s a reason to raise prices..

Worst part is we as consumers take it, we love our vehicles and our gas powered toys.

The reason they send crude elsewhere is it is cheaper to refine. Keep selling off our resources and B.C. will be like sears Canada selling off everything with value an have nothing left in the end of value for B.C. Build refiners.

Am I the only one who finds it interesting that this opinion piece, submitted by a sitting Conservative MP, about building new refinery capacity has been released slightly in advance of the government’s decision about Northern Gateway?

Hmmm . . .

“in addition to shipping the raw resource into the global market, refining that natural resource in BC”

“I support both shipping raw bitumen to foreign markets as well as refining raw bitumen in BC”

“I support both shipping raw bitumen to foreign markets as well as refining raw bitumen in BC”

“it is time to improve our capacity to process crude oil. Creating new value-added oil processing in BC . . .”

“A refinery in BC would be a positive step”

==================================

Bob, you could have just issued a release saying that a refinery in BC will be a condition of the Northern Gateway project being approved. LOL!!!!!

I personally think there would be more support for pipelines, refineries, and tanker traffic off the coast if the Canadian people would get a bigger slice of the natural resource pie in this country.

IMF Pegs Canada’s Fossil Fuel Subsidies at $34 Billion

http://thetyee.ca/Opinion/2014/05/15/Canadas-34-Billion-Fossil-Fuel-Subsidies/

From that article:

“The lion’s share of the $34 billion are uncollected taxes on the externalized costs of burning transportation fuels like gasoline and diesel — about $19.4 billion in 2011. These externalized costs include impacts like traffic accidents, carbon emissions, air pollution and road congestion.”

Are they saying that the use of gasoline contributes to these things and that had they been taxed, the government would recover $19.4 billion as a result?

Are they then making the leap to suggest that this is a subsidy?

I honestly have no idea what they are talking about, but I think it’s pretty fair to suggest that their number of $34 billion could certainly be debated as to whether it qualifies as a subsidy . . .

And for record, yes, I would agree that if people realized more of a benefit from our oil production (lower fuel prices, jobs, etc.), there would be more support for activities related to oil extraction.

This wish list opinion piece comes off like it is from a member of the public or opposition. Someone with no influence to influence throwing out some random thoughts hoping something will stick.

Bob Zimmer you are an elected member of parliament as a member of the governing party. Did Stephen Harper approve of you going off reservation with your own thoughts? Is this your only medium to get your message across to ‘government’?

I would expect an annual message that comes from the area MP to be more professional than this. One would hope it is full of actual researched facts, genuine insights, and positive steps taken by his government towards implementing an agenda that relates to the topic at hand. Essentially we got an average opinion piece that could have been opined by an 8th grader in a social studies report if not for the name at the bottom.

I think this is not so much a call for more refineries by MP Zimmer, but rather a pre-emptive attempt to distance himself from a Northern Gateway approval that does not include a refinery. The only way he can look as though he is representing the interest of his constituents, and yet not cross the predetermined position of the Harper government.

I think Zimmer is another wasted vote for Northern BC akin to a vote for Dick Harris. Destine to be a perpetual back bencher with no influence and very little representation of local and regional issues to Ottawa… but rather a spokesperson for Ottawa to the rubes in the hinterland.

What is happenning with the one proposed in between Kitimat and Terrace?

Like the Canada Action plan that was all advertising and very little for lasting legacy of jobs sustainability. The con’s will always try to use words and phrases to sell the idea they represent hopes for jobs, but in reality they all just work for a corpocracy that is all about gutting Canadian regulations that protect Canadian workers… and or off shoring production to to places that don’t have to play by the same rules in labor, environment, and product safety as they would be required to here in Canada.

The Harper government is about off shoring globalization for profit taking by the 1%ers of global finance. They need to export the raw resources to pay for the trade imbalance generated by their overseas profit centers that import goods and services subsidized by slave labor camps. This has very little to do with building a sustainable Canadian economy.

The Harper policy agenda was summed up by Harper as ‘enlightened sovereignty’. ‘Enlightened sovereignty’ is FIPA, TPP and such that enshrine in law the globalist agenda of the lowest common regulations and rights for workers… and in no way calls for a refinery or any means of production here in Canada.

Harper’s government is constantly giving oil and gas companies MONEY, my money, your money. IMF says 800$ worth per Canadian per year. Last fall an article in the national post said Harper gave oil and pipeline companies $400 million to “go green.” What a feel good move that is. That is one of the reasons why I figure this Zimmerism above is scary as hell. What is he getting at, in his political circumlocutions above, what corporate giveaways are the cons planning here to get a refinery up and running in BC? Bet the oil companies are just sitting on their hands waiting to see what incentives are involved here, why move when Harper will probably help you and your shareholders out a bit eh?? I have read some committee meeting minutes, Zimmer hasn’t an original thought in his head Eagleone, except giving tax breaks to “volunteers” who would probably have been OK without them anyway. (if that was his idea anyway) You are right Eagleone, there is something not right with this.

Any excuse to blame Harper for something is a good one, eh?

Don’t need any excuse to pick on Harpercrite. The man is a walking ideological disaster.

It must really bother you that he keeps getting elected.

If Prince George is considered the “north” wouldn’t that make the area around Valemont and McBride the “north east?”

So the Cons have decided to get on board with David Blacks proposal to build a refinery in Kitimat. Of course it is a chimera, the refinery will get cancelled after the pipeline to ship bitumen to it has been built. But in the meantime they will have created a wedge issue, something that Harper has excelled at. Under the guise of more BC jobs via a refinery, we will get Northern Gateway. Then we will just get Northern Gateway, and since the bitumen has to go somewhere, bring in the tankers , boys!