After a year of NDP government, huge numbers of right-of-centre Albertans are clamouring for a united conservative party to stand in the next election. Despite overtures made by the Wildrose last autumn, leadership and delegates at the recent PC annual general meeting emphatically voted to move ahead in isolation. For those who want to see conservatives united in the next election, this is unfortunate. As desirable as uniting conservatives sounds to many, the obstacles are significant and [Read more]
NDP spends off the debt cliff while sticking families with carbon tax
The NDP budget released this week throws caution to the wind in its reckless fiscal plan, and punishes families with a $3 billion carbon tax. Driven by a decade of overspending, Alberta has already run eight consecutive deficits under four PC premiers and one NDP premier. Alberta’s net financial assets have declined by $65 billion since 2008 - a staggering balance sheet meltdown that should shock Albertans. With a consolidated deficit of $14 billion this year alone, Alberta’s debt will [Read more]
Alberta government should reduce spending now to prevent larger cuts later
Real action is needed urgently to get Alberta’s out-of-control finances back on track. With interest payments soon to be the most expensive branch of government outside health, education and social services, it’s critical that we take reasonable and moderate steps today to ensure the cost of government remains sustainable. If we don’t, it means over the long term Alberta will have less for new hospitals, schools, teachers and nurses and punish families with higher taxes. Alberta has now [Read more]
Let the market drive economic diversification, not politicians
“We will diversify the economy and get off the oil and gas roller coaster.” Ninety per cent of Alberta’s elected politicians could have spoken those words over the last 69 years. Since we first struck oil at Leduc #1 in 1947, Albertans have bemoaned the attachment of our economy to commodity prices, and for good reason. The fluctuations of oil and gas prices not only lead to spikes in government revenues and economic activity, but also to their accompanying declines. From time-to-time, [Read more]
Keep the Change Ottawa. Alberta Needs to Stand on Its Own Two Feet.
For the first time in the modern history of Alberta, our government has asked the federal government for a bailout. Premier Rachel Notley requested a $250 million emergency transfer from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Ottawa obliged, handing Alberta its first welfare cheque since the Great Depression. It was a quiet, but substantive blow to the dignity of our province and it isn’t worth the cost. The NDP government is now on track to run a $10 billion deficit, more than twice as large as [Read more]
Royalty review was much ado about nothing says Wildrose’s Fildebrandt
The good news: The NDP’s eight-month long royalty review changed pretty much nothing. The bad news: The NDP put Alberta’s oil and gas industry through a eight-month royalty review that created massive uncertainty for investors, and likely cost jobs. For the last two decades, the NDP have matter-of-factly declared that oil and gas companies were robbing Albertans blind by not paying their fair share of royalties. Royalties being a complicated series of regulations, it was easy for the NDP [Read more]