The Globe and Mail reports in its Saturday, Aug. 29, edition that National Energy Board hearings into the proposed Trans Mountain pipeline project were made worse by some clueless moves by the federal government. The Gary Mason writes that the recent decision to appoint Steven Kelly to the board was mind-boggling, even for a government as imperious as this one. Mr. Kelly is an oil industry consultant who previously filed evidence to the NEB in support of Kinder Morgan's pipeline expansion. Now here was the government appointing him to the same board. The Tory government's move added much fodder to the army of critics opposed to the project, who are always on the lookout for opportunities to denounce the NEB review as a sham. Wisely, Mr. Mason says, the NEB announced it would be striking Mr. Kelly's submission from the record. Neither is Mr. Kelly part of the NEB panel reviewing the Kinder Morgan application. Nonetheless, the damage has been done. Mr. Mason says the Harper government provided critics of the pipeline and the NEB process with an opportunity to declare the entire affair rigged, even if that is not the case. Mr. Mason calls the Kelly appointment a boneheaded move.