Let’s turn to the substance of the issue. The national media objected to McGuinty stating aloud the truth: the value of the Canadian dollar is heavily impacted by the price of oil and the dollar’s appreciation has hurt many in the manufacturing sector.

The impact of the oil sands on Canada outside Alberta is complex. Many benefit. Some in eastern Canada fly out to the oil sands and work part-time. Many in Toronto’s financial and business service sector have clients in the oil patch. And there are manufacturers in Central Canada — particularly of durable goods — who sell a great deal to the Alberta resource sector.

All of these things are in the mutual commercial interest of both parties and one would presume that Canadian businesses in Alberta are happy to do business with their fellow Canadians. These exchanges strengthen the Canadian economy and also increase the influence of Alberta in national political and economic life.

But the oil sands are not an unvarnished good.

As noted by CIBC just this week, economic prospects for exporters in the manufacturing sector “look to be seriously impaired by the structural hit from a strong Canadian dollar.” This is the latest in a long line of economic studies that point out that the high dollar hurts some exporters in the manufacturing sector.

Most economic activities in Canada have largely positive impacts on other regions. The economic benefits of natural resource development, however, are much more regionally concentrated. This is because natural resources are provincially owned, with the resource royalties flowing entirely to the province. It has been estimated that 94 per cent of the economic benefits from the oil sands will remain in Alberta.

There are things that can be done so the continued development of the oil sands does less damage to some communities in other parts of Canada.

The most sensible would be the creation of a sovereign wealth fund by Alberta, as recommended by the Alberta Premier’s Council. This saves some of the wealth generated by non-renewable assets in a fund for future generations, as Norway has done. Such a strategy would diminish the impact of oil and gas extraction on the value of the Canadian dollar.

The federal government could also create such a fund and shelter a portion of corporate tax revenues generated from oil companies.

The pace of development in the oil sands could be revisited. This represents little cost to Alberta, but more orderly development diminishes the shock to Canadian exporters.

There are many other ways to ensure that the benefits of oil and gas extraction are enjoyed by more Canadians, such as returning to pre-2003 federal corporate tax treatment of provincial resource royalties. But such sensible and relatively small changes are resisted by Alberta, to say nothing of larger changes such as a carbon tax. If Alberta genuinely wants to lead a “national energy conversation,” it has to put something on the table, not just ask for professions of love.

The larger concern being raised by McGuinty is whether a monetary union like Canada can have a globally competitive resource sector and a globally competitive manufacturing sector. There is real concern that we cannot — unless we take some of the steps discussed above. No matter how productive Canadian manufacturers become, if the dollar keeps going up, many will no longer be competitive in North America.

The development of a world-class oil and gas sector, headquartered in Calgary, is something that most Canadians can support — just as they should support a world-class financial services sector in Toronto, or an aerospace one in Montreal. These are all good things.

But we have an obligation to tread carefully when we discuss these issues. The oil patch plays a leadership role in Canada right now. With that leadership comes responsibility.

Out here in the rest of Canada, the oil sands are a mixed blessing. Some benefit, some don’t — and some people are actually hurt. When Canadian consumers across the country fill up their tanks, they don’t feel the positive impacts of the oil sector: gas prices keep going up in Fredericton and Montreal. The success of the oil patch doesn’t necessarily translate on Main Street outside Alberta. And none of this takes into account the real environmental costs of the oil sands.

So please, stop asking for our love. Isn’t our acquiescence enough?