Assuming that the optimists are correct, our country could see some $140 billion stream into the economy from oil and gas revenues in the next 20-odd years. When 3.5 times your current GDP comes knocking, you’d better listen, and listen close. It’s no exaggeration to say that the fate of our nation, its people and its economic wellbeing could rest on whether this precious resource is used for good or for ill. Already, our economy is skewed toward sectors that cannot create the jobs we need to sustain our competitiveness, which at the moment is sorely lacking, in no short measure due to endemic corruption, security or any sort of policy framework. From our waters to our lands to our mountains, the nation’s history is tainted with examples of how we have exploited our resources for the benefit of vested interests over public good. Without the proper mechanisms and safeguards
