The 914,749 Albertans (54.8 per cent) who voted UCP may be having some “buyer’s remorse” or at least feeling some unease with Jason Kenney’s recent antics, questionable decisions that impact hardworking Albertans and seemingly picking fights with the federal government and provinces.
Alberta has a big PR issue with the rest of Canada — this is nothing new. We’re seen as the “dirty oil,” rich-yet-always-complaining, backwards province, the so-called “embarrassing cousin” of Canada. It doesn’t help when Red Deer city Coun. Dianne Wyntjes goes to Twitter to declare, “I’m a Canadian and I’m Albertan and I’m sorry,” apologizing on behalf of the west, in essence validating the perceived slights from Kenney’s recent remarks in PEI.
There’s no doubt the Alberta energy industry is under attack, with anti-Alberta and anti-energy bills such the passing of federal Bill C-69, which aims to phase out oil and gas in Canada. Alberta needs our leader to make some noise federally and make us heard, without further fraying already strained relationships in the east.
The UCP are fighting these attacks, but there isn’t a lot of confidence with how successful they will be. Alberta needs some wins, and soon.
The TMX being approved is a potential step forward, but it’s been approved before, and what is needed is actual construction to begin. The Royalty Guarantee Act may be a positive step in restoring investor confidence in Alberta, if passed.
The majority of Albertans, based on the outcome of the election, wanted the carbon tax gone. But is what we’re facing now any better with the federal government posed to impose one of its own?
The minimum wage cut for students comes into effect June 26.
The NDP hiking the minimum wage, from a practical economic view, was irresponsible and a burden that had repercussions with many small businesses in the province. Cutting it back though for minors, based purely on age, seems arbitrary and unfair.
Once it was done, it should have stayed done. The province already went through the “growing pains” and hardships it caused. Some young people who work are saving for college, or supporting themselves or maybe even their family and age is not a reliable measure of responsibility or ability.
Then there is the cancellation of the superlab project in Edmonton. The UCP say the decision was made in order to focus on patients, calling it “expensive and disruptive.”
Friends of Medicare, however, find the explanations inadequate, and say that the lab would have increased quality of services in the face of growing demands and the current public laboratory has been neglected for years and that the decision seems to be based more on corporate profits rather than patient care.
The Health Sciences Association of Alberta is also against the decision, saying it was made against expert advice and “any kind of fiscal common sense.”
His recent antics in the legislature with handing out ear plugs to his fellow MP’s is also having a mixed response with Albertans. Some seem to think it was hilarious and others are angered by the implicit lack of respect for the democratic process.
Although some have argued that the incident happened while there was no one speaking, or that no UCP’s actually wore the plugs, NDP MP Thomas Dang stated he was in the middle of making a speech to the house when the ear plugs were handed out and that at least six UCP members put them in their ears.
Kenney’s office responded, not with a denial, but with the explanation that, “This was a harmless and light-hearted attempt to boost government caucus morale after being forced to listen to the NDP’s insults, lies and over-the-top rhetoric for hours on end.”
This was an important bill and the UCP had already limited debate on it three times. The legislature was debating Bill 9, which was passed early June 20.
The bill halts union wage negotiations, which has the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees up in arms, stating that once the bill receives royal assent, they will be filing with the courts.
So the unions are angry, the health care sector is angry, the energy industry is at best uncertain, and a lot of Albertans in general are uneasy or upset. That’s a lot of upset people.