Finally, the cost of institutional corruption and administrative capture that accompanies Oil.
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Oil has a 140 year history of causing corruption almost everywhere oil is found, except Norway.  No country has ever become a democracy after the discovery of oil.  Oil stunted democracy in Mexico; Venezuela; Iran; Nigeria.  Huge corruption in the US, UK.
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Today's column is basically a complaint that the Liberals ended agency capture at the NEB.
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Agency capture of the Conservative Party by Oil led to the unconscionably foolish 2% cut in the GST = $180 B in lost federal revenue to date = $180 B more federal debt, or less public transit, etc.
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It is why there is no money to solve the 90 min/day congestion tax on everybody's life.
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It is another cost of failure to defend our democratic institutions, and of failure to force internalisation of negative externalities.
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If the true political choice is pipelines or subways, Canada needs public transit way more than it needs pipelines.