Vancouver Province
for March 14, 2002

I love conspiracy theories, don’t you? To have a decent one, though, you have to have a number of strange things happening between people who usually don’t speak to one another.

Well, here are some pretty incredible things. B.C. wins the Nanoose Bay lease case and the Premier, instead of gloating, all but apologizes saying how much he’s looking forward to working with the federal government.

David Anderson, perpetual thorn in the side of the B.C. government, is sacked as B.C.’s senior minister which post goes to Herb Dhaliwal who, in his previous incarnation as Fisheries Minister, shared province’s love affair with fish farms and has a mandate to woo B.C. voters into the Liberal fold – and is prepared to throw the much promised convention center into the game. He is replaced in Fisheries and Oceans by a Quebecker who wouldn’t know a sockeye from a clam and who parrots DFO nonsense about how fish farms are just peachy.

Mr. Anderson, a long time foe of oil exploration in the Queen Charlottes, moves to Environment but, as the province talks openly of exploiting those very resources, is suddenly struck dumb. Moreover Anderson, who knows and loves wild salmon, says not a peep when Premier Campbell lifts the moratorium on Atlantic salmon farms which pose such an ongoing threat to wild stocks. Now, bearing in mind that Ottawa bashing has been the principal political sport hereabouts, aren’t all these loving caresses and ear lob nibbles just a little bit suspicious? Is it just possible that the fix is in? Jean Chretien and Gordon Campbell, both Liberals, need money and political credits in a province where, for Liberals, they’ve been pretty hard to come by. And what could that possible deal be?

The federal Liberals hate the Pacific salmon because they're a long time, expensive political pain in the ass. The bureaucrats in DFO have taken to aquaculture with all the zeal of the convert. The problem is that the province has that silly moratorium. Meanwhile, Victoria would like to tap into offshore oil and gas except the feds have a silly little moratorium there. A perfect deal – out with the moratoriums, the feds get the fish farm, a deal to split petroleum revenues and there are no environmental concerns about wild salmon because they ain’t around anymore.

Problem. The parties have forgotten an essential player – the Haida who seem to ruin the party by seeking a court ruling that it is they who own the oil fields. But, when they launch the suit BC’s Attorney-General is utterly unconcerned. Why? Could it be that he knows this suit has nothing to do with environmental concerns, piously enough stated of course, but merely a ploy in order to get some chips for the game of dividing up the royalties. Perish the thought!

A conspiracy? Are all the players in the fix now at the table? You be the judge. But remember this – a Liberal is a Liberal wherever he sits and everyone, and I mean everyone, likes money. And nobody, but nobody let’s a little thing like the environment get in the way of making it.