Quote:
Originally Posted by Vedder
Your larger point is right, but Jim Prentice actually campaigned on addressing some of the structural revenue problems in Alberta and got destroyed for it.
The lack of a truly fiscally conservetive party in Alberta is mainly because it’s not politically viable.
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Nah, I don't think that's accurate. He campaigned on policies that ate around the edge of the issue that would justify service cuts. Things like increasing fees for campsites etc, when the 'structural revenue problem' couldn't be addressed without a significant cut to services or a significant raise in royalties, income and corporate taxes. The 'structural revenue problem' is a roughly 20% shortfall in revenue. That's ####ing massive.
I agree though that it is politically untenable in Alberta to raise revenue from taxes, but his policy proposals were still an extension of the fiscal policies that run counter to mainstream economics.
Any party looking to credibly claim to be conservative fiscally would need to directly address this shortfall in spectacular fashion. In my opinion the NDP have displayed a more fundamentally sound understanding of economics than any PC government since Lougheed, but no one would confuse them with being the most desirable stewards of the economy.