Balancing opposed interests is key to an Alberta pipeline deal but also to next year's CUSMA talks, which will require concessions on dairy

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In a recent conversation with the podcaster John Batchelor, Conrad Black used the adjective “agile” to describe Mark Carney. Central bankers don’t always have to be agile but politicians do. As he closes out his first year in office, we’re going to see — Carney himself is going to see — whether he can master the art of the political deal. With all our political cracks and fissures, Canada is not an easy place to practice that art.

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In a just-published FP Comment column, Peter Flynn argues that decarbonization of our energy exports, which looks like it will be part of the Ottawa-Alberta pipeline deal, makes no sense. He’s almost certainly right. Building very expensive infrastructure, its costs measured in percentage points of GDP, to capture and bury emissions generated in the mining and processing of oil and gas mainly adds to our costs, making exports less likely — despite the fact that global emissions would fall if other countries switched from coal and dirtier oil even to our un-decarbonized product.

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But, much as it pains me to say so, economics isn’t everything. Though suspect on economic grounds, carbon capture and storage may make political sense. They give Carney a fig leaf and a palm frond in dealing with caucus members, provincial governments and activists opposed to pipelines. Absolutists such as the Green Party’s Elizabeth May will put their foot down and fulminate: “This shall not pass!” But more persuadable actors will see that carbon capture means all sides of the question are being attended to.

We columnists generally prefer politicians who do exactly what we recommend and simply tell their opponents: “Sorry, you lose!” Steamrolling is sometimes unavoidable and occasionally works. But logic and history both suggest that politicians who can find ways to share the gains from a policy that improves things will do better. Carney will be telling his B.C. caucus, who are saying “Not on our West Coast!”, and........

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