Bob Layton: The reign of judges

I sincerely felt for Premier Rachel Notley, seeing her so passionate at the pulpit.

She was angry and Doctor Layton wondered if she might be suffering from PTSD.  In her case, it might be Pipeline Trans Mountain Shovels Disappointment.

There has been so much talk about the carbon tax being a social licence to build a pipeline with proper precautions.

Now it turns out our carbon currency is no good if the National Energy Board is judged to have fallen short.

Even if more Indigenous consultations are done, the issue could again end up layered in lawyers doing a bitumen bounce back to the courthouse.

Premier Notley wants the prime minister to get this thing into the Supreme Court of Canada. Could she end up in court for pulling out of the federal climate plan?

The TMX has turned people and provinces and First Nations and even politicians in the same party against each other.

In the end, it’s left to the courts to assume what used to be the government’s role in saying, “We know what’s best for you.”

Bottom line: After we hear what politicians or provinces or pipeline purveyors or even environmentalists think, it still reverts to, welcome to the Reign of Judges.

Let me know what you think about that.

Bob Layton is the news manager of the Corus Edmonton group of radio stations.