Since our government was elected by Albertans a year and a half ago, we have worked consistently to invest in and build up Alberta’s dynamic economy.
During the spring session alone, our government saw 34 bills passed to make life better, diversify our economy and get Albertans across the province back to work. While COVID-19 has undoubtedly changed the circumstances that we are all operating under, it has not changed our government’s overarching goals or our commitments to Albertans. As we look ahead to the next session, set to begin in just one week, we are committed to maintaining this trajectory and following through on the promises and platform commitments that we made to Albertans.
In order for us to continue to expand our economy, it is necessary to look outside the box and develop policies that create a space for Albertans to innovate and embrace their entrepreneurial spirit, ideally while capitalizing on our already established industries.
The importance of diversification and innovation opportunities is what makes initiatives like Alberta’s Natural Gas Vision and Strategy so significant.
The strategy will expand our natural gas industry by seizing emerging opportunities for clean hydrogen, petrochemical manufacturing, liquefied natural gas and plastics recycling. In expanding natural gas beyond our traditional uses, we can inject new life into the sector and create opportunities for the thousands of Albertans that work in the natural gas and related industries, including those in and around Camrose.
Canada is among the top global producers of natural gas, and Alberta provides around two-thirds of Canada’s natural gas production, making us uniquely positioned to capitalize on this opportunity and support responsible energy development for years to come.
Alberta is a world leader in responsible energy development, and his initiative will only expand on that accomplishment. Multiple elements of the natural gas initiative will add to our responsible energy development, including transitioning away from some coal-fired plants, greenhouse gas reduction, support of a plastics circular economy, and the production of hydrogen. All will contribute to the goal of Alberta becoming the number one supplier of clean, secure, responsibly sourced natural gas in Canada and internationally.
The Natural Gas Vision and Strategy is just one element of Alberta’s Recovery Plan, which will build on our strengths through timely and targeted policy reform that will create jobs and make Alberta more competitive on the global stage.
Going into the fall session, we will keep looking for ways to support Albertans as we navigate the ongoing pandemic, as well as implement long term strategies to put Alberta in the best possible position for years to come. I am looking forward to getting back in the Legislature and seeing more bold and ambitious initiatives like the Natural Gas Vision and Strategy be put together and continue to advocate for the constituents of Camrose.