When the Klein regime torched the public sector, wiped out regulatory controls, and reduced royalties in the mid 1990s - there were about 2.5 million residents of Alberta.
The purpose and objective of the Klein revolution was to encourage what became an unsustainable boom in oil sands development over a 20 year period. Lots of new development, but relatively less infrastructure support. Where was the foresight for new pipelines in the early 2000s when it was obvious there would be a transportation problem if all these projects came on line. I'm sure the response internally was 'What Me Worry?"
Walking thru downtown Fort Mac today, and it still feels like the mid-1970s there. Amazing given how much money flowed thru that region, and how little the infrastructure changed. Can say the same thing about a lot of Alberta.
This boom resulted in a population surge to about 4.3 million today - in many cases living with social infrastructure designed for a population of half that amount. Should they form the next government, the UCPers are going to quickly learn that balancing the books in 2020 without a boom and with 4.3 million residents and a social infrastructure deficit (the true legacy of Klein) - isn't nearly as easy as they think it is.
All of that to say, the fact the NDP ran a deficit is of no concern to me.
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