Credit: Mel Rothenburger

By Mel Rothenburger

ARMCHAIR MAYOR

ROTHENBURGER: Dreaded words from politicians — ‘let me be perfectly clear’

Aug 30, 2021 | 4:21 AM

KAMLOOPS — WHENEVER WE HEAR the words ‘Let me be perfectly clear’ escape from the mouths of politicians, we’ve come to know that chances are what comes next will be neither clear nor perfect.

NDP leader Jagmeet Singh was making himself perfectly clear the other day when a reporter asked him whether he’d stop construction of the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion should he and his party form government.

It was a question that requires only a yes-or-no answer. But Singh waffled, obfuscated and, with perfect clarity, avoided answering.

He has made it clear, he declared, that he opposes the Trans Mountain expansion.

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And, he said, he will assess the situation should he become prime minister.

The reason for this avoidance, of course, is that if he said he’d stop Trans Mountain — which would be consistent with his opposition to it — he’d have to justify wasting millions, nay billions of dollars — on a project that is already substantially completed. And explain where he’d find the money to stop the work, fill in the trenches that are still open on long stretches of the route, send the equipment and roughly 10,000 workers home, haul away all that wasted pipe, board up the new pumping stations that have been built, and cancel dozens of contracts.

But if he gave the logical answer, which is that the point of no return has been reached and he’d have no choice but to allow completion, many of his supporters who oppose TMX would be most unhappy.

This is of special importance around here since the pipeline goes right through Kamloops and rural areas to the north and south — and, incidentally, through my front yard — and people have a right to know the parties’ stand on it.

They may be fuzzy on other things but we know where Justin Trudeau and Erin O’Toole are at on the TMX. Singh, however, offers drivel.

So let me make this perfectly clear — I’m Mel Rothenburger, the Armchair Mayor.

Mel Rothenburger is a former mayor of Kamloops and a retired newspaper editor. He is a regular contributor to CFJC Today, publishes the ArmchairMayor.ca opinion website, and is a director on the Thompson-Nicola Regional District board. He can be reached at mrothenburger@armchairmayor.ca.

Editor’s Note: This opinion piece reflects the views of its author, and does not necessarily represent the views of CFJC Today or Pattison Media.