As for legislation to force development of a field, Harper said he would be studying the legal implications.
"We've learned in the past, you know, it's best to keep a stable investment climate in the oil and gas business, and that's the general approach the government of Canada will take," Mr. Harper said.Canadian Press is reporting that Harper "panned" the idea of fallow field legislation. Harper pointed to possible impacts such legislation would have on Canada under the North American Free trade Agreement.
Williams, who had a separate news conference following Harper's, says he doesn't want to embroil the prime minister in the matter, despite saying the day before that he would ask Ottawa for the tools to expropriate idle fields.Uh huh. Harper's office never made a call.
And the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) didn't insist on a separate newser for Williams so there'd be no pictures of Williams and Harper together talking about Hebron.
And the PMO didn't insist on talking on a plane where no reporters are in sight just to avoid having Harper and Williams give the obligatory joint "so how'd the meeting go?" newser afterward.
Pull the other one.
It's got bells on it.