Quote:
Originally Posted by IliketoPuck
The feds have absolutely contributed to the problem. But I sure didn't see a whole lot of success from the Harper conservatives either on the O&G file.
You know what else has contributed to the problem? Six decades of (slightly) interrupted conservative control of our province, culminating in the current iteration of whatever the hell this anti-democratic garbage is we are currently having to deal with.
We love to complain in Alberta that we are always getting screwed by the federal government, while at the same time lauding our own entrepreneurial free spirit. We then turn around and vote like a bunch of sheep for the same party because, and really I have no other explanation, we like the color blue?
People point to Quebec as a great example of using provincial separatist threats to get concessions. You know why Quebec gets concessions? Because they are willing to throw their federal MPs to the curb without a second thought in any given election. And the MPs know it. Alberta throws their vote away every single election because we predictably only vote conservative. It's the cushiest job in federal politics, by far; just ask my MP (Rempel). Pretty sure the only time I see her face is when it pops up on posters at election time. It sure isn't because she's getting anything done in Ottawa.
This province needs:
1. A PST to reduce our reliance on oil and gas prices to balance our budget.
2. Re-investment into the heritage fund and a moratorium on withdrawals for a 20 year period.
3. Re-investment into our education and health care systems (Lougheed model).
4. A relentless focus on attracting all forms of investment (energy, tech, renewable, etc. etc.), not just ones that align with the current political ideology of a bunch of wild rose grifters.
Where's that bike meme with the stick and the spokes and blaming someone else for your own stupidity when you need it?
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I like what you are saying... but before we look at PST to tax the people of Alberta, the province needs to reverse the corporate tax cuts that have happened under the UCP. Kenney left over $4B in revenue on the table with his tax cuts to corporations and then Smith doubled down on it.
These corporations have done nothing to help Alberta, even with all of the bending over the UCP has done for them. All they have done is put that money in their pockets and then continued to lay off thousands of Albertans.
Tax the corporations, use the money to support the people or drive more investment into industry diversification so that Alberta is not left holding the bag when the bottom falls out on the O&G industry.