At least BHP has good taste in cities
It says it would relocate the headquarters of the Potash division to Saskatoon, where its executives would live and raise their children.
They could do worse — Saskatoon is a gracious and sophisticated city with the broadest boulevards this side of Paris, and the world-class University of Saskatchewan campus on the banks of the South Saskatchewan River.
Despite that, there are some politics in play
The Harper government previously vetoed an American bid to buy the Canadian aerospace icon, MDA, makers of the Canadarm. It even wrote a national security clause into the Investment Canada Act.
But it can hardly invoke that in the potash case.
Nor can it say Canada can’t allow such a vital resource, one which grows half the world’s food supply, to fall into foreign hands, when it is already in foreign hands — although had they been Chinese hands that might have been another matter.
At the end of the day, this is about politics. The Conservatives hold 13 out of 14 Saskatchewan seats in the House, and Premier Wall is their close ally on the provincial scene.
The people of Saskatchewan don’t want this deal — federal polling shows 70% of Saskatchewanians are against it.
The most likely outcome is that Clement will attach Wall’s shopping list, with Ottawa approving the deal subject to Saskatchewan’s conditions being met.
