Quote:
Originally Posted by MattyC
...There are plenty of things wrong with what the NDP is doing, but pushing the point that they are causing this, is misinformation at best. ...
|
I cannot see anyone in the right mind suggesting that NDP is causing the collapse of the energy markets. That's a macroeconomic factor. However; NDP is not doing what's needed to adjust to this reality swiftly and decisively. They don't seem to know what's needed to be done and even those things they do know that need to be done they delay doing them.
Klein's administration inherited a horrible financial mess in what Getty's government had left for them. That's at the "below $20" oil time. He and Dinning have balanced the budget and paid the debt in record time. The money saved on debt servicing have been diverted to new infrastructure. They negotiated reasonable contracts with all public unions. They left huge savings in the Heritage Fund. They have set the province up to enjoy the economic boom.
Klein's administration is often blamed for deferring major infrastructure projects and pushing regular folk to the brink with all the budget cuts. Yes, they did. Question is, was there any other reasonable and effective way to get out of the budget mess? And the answer is no, there wasn't. It had to be done, no matter how much it did hurt.
NDP's ideological approach to running the government makes them stumble. They refuse to ask what would a business do to survive? Many Alberta businesses are cutting 20% of the workforce and up to 20% remaining staff salaries to survive now. They can't afford to wait and even that may not be enough. NDP does not even want to consider reducing public sector wages. Businesses are cutting discretionary spending to none. NDP is hesitating. Businesses are looking at NDP and saying "give us some hope, show some leadership". NDP is saying we're not ready, we need more time. Climate change programs, coal energy industry murder (one of the cleanest coal energy extraction in the world!), income tax increases - all of that will a) take away more money from the working Albertans, b) increase the future cost of living to all Albertans and c) will make Alberta less attractive to investors. There is a substantial amount of foreign capital in Alberta's energy industry. This capital will move elsewhere, if it cannot be profitably re-invested locally.
Notley wants to show the world that Alberta is progressive and modern. I am sorry, we are too small for the world to care. I'd rather see us taking care of ourselves first without too much posturing.