Quote:
Originally Posted by FireGilbert
I find it interesting the PCs essentially screwed over the current NDP government from their years of wasting the boom times failing to diversify the economy and save for a rainy day, and now the NDP have been screwing over a future UCP government by expanding the public service which will need to be reduced increasing unemployment and hurting the economy.
Not sure what my point is but I do feel sorry for you guys. It would be nice if our representatives actually looked long term though, not just at the latest poll or election.
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I don't think its so much the PCs wasted the boom times as many had noted, AB had no debt, had two savings funds, was slowly diversifying, had some of the highest paid nurses/teachers in Canada, and was chipping away at infrastructure debts. I think the issue is (as many Albertans were and some still are to this day), they were naïve and complacent and economically centrist (they wanted it all and didn't want anyone to pay for it).
To be fair to both the PCs and the NDP no one except the biggest cynics ever thought the federal government would NEP Alberta again, and that their neighbors would be so openly hostile to O&G.
As for stacking debt to the extent the NDP have, I don't think its poison pilling on purpose either, I think its ideologically driven, and something that NDP governments will always do. The sad thing is by acting this way, the no debt advantage Alberta had is likely gone forever.