Quote:
Originally Posted by TheIronMaiden
Alberta does and doesn't have economic advantages. Obviously the natural resource development has been a boon. Nevertheless, the lack of manufacturing as well as direct access to markets is a challenge.
I am not suggesting that this is all Ottawa's fault, lots of it is a knot that we've tied up for ourselves with a pump and dump mentality. That said, the historic president for the federal government is that it does not make policies or invest in Alberta's economy. This is in part because of an historic focus on developing industry in eastern Canada, but it is also in part because Alberta did not need prolonged aid after the late eighties until about right now.
I think lots of the anti Ottawa rhetoric has so much purchase here because of political and cultural alienation. Any idiot knows that Alberta is the punching bag of every province in terms of discourse. That said, we don't help our selves by constantly crying about being victims while enjoying some of the best quality of life in the world.
|
Alberta is a 'punching bag' because the rest of Canada sees you earning more money than the rest of us (at least up until recently), having cheaper housing, paying less taxes because you have a bunch of oil in the ground and then complaining about how tough you have it.
Although the punching bag thing is way over-stated. People think about Alberta as much here as you think about Manitoba.