The moratorium on West Coast offshore drilling has nothing to so with the environment.

It only exists because Central Canada-dominated Parliaments shudder with fear at the prospect of the amount of wealth that would accrue to British Columbia, thereby shifting the geographic balance of econoic power westward.

Alberta has been a nightmare for the Ontario powerbrokers. Could you imaging BC stepping up to the Federal stage with tremendous oil wealth backing the Province's case?

If my memory serves me, the area the Liberal Provincial government keeps harping about, in off shore drilling is an area controlled by the federal government. If someday drilling off shore becomes a fact, you can bet your bottom dollar the fed would get a large percent of the cash. Some folks keep complaining about the province getting held up on the issue, yet other folks remind us that no company has done much complaining about not being allowed to spend big bucks on some studies in the area. A few land claims by first nations would be a issue, along with many others. Besides the volumes the New Era gang keeps talking about are really unproven.
So I guess Julie and I have different opinions on the subject.That's democracy

Julie...your theory that the Federal Governemtn doesn't want BC to make more money is ludicrous.

One of the stupidist attempts at a conspiracy analysis I have ever heard.

Also, I highly suggest you do more reading about environmental impacts of offshore oil drilling before you say it has nothing to do with the environment. The increase in tanker transport alone counters your faulty comment.

Bill, you took the words right out of my mouth. As a born-in-Vancouver lifelong British Columbian, it never entered my head that our Canadian Parliament is shuddering with fear at the prospect of B.C. earning untold wealth.

Hey, B.C. is already earning untold wealth from BC Bud, eh? But I digress.

The environment, Julie, The Environment is the stuff we need to stay alive. Clean air. Clean water. Fish. Food. Trees. All of which the environment does for us, if we give it half a chance. And that's what the moratorium was doing, Julie: giving it just half a chance.

East Coast Drilling (Hibernia)

Native Land Claim Issues: Non Existent

Environmental Impact: Containable

Regional Economic Impact: Tangible

Different coasts do not make these different issues.

Careful drinking your politcal and environmental Kool-aid boys.