Editorial
Speak up for Alberta and our Economy!
BY SHANE WENZEL
With the provincial election on the horizon, I want to write specifically to other Calgary business owners and their workers with the hope of making some critical points in the 500 words available. Not only are we losing the Canada we used to know, but we are also at risk of losing Alberta and the spirit of a prosperous and vibrant province that we have built and re- built over the years. While 2022 wasn’t the greatest worldwide in the aftermath of COVID, Alberta remained one of the most successful economies regardless of the many challenges we faced.
Some 48,000 migrants moved across the country to add to our population. However, it doesn’t match the thousands forced to leave due to job losses when the anti-fossil fuel campaign kicked in. After the 2015 election and the appearance of the NDP in the province, things changed.
We even experienced ‘hired help’ from Ontario to change our lightbulbs and shower heads in our homes under the guise of good environment stewards. It seems we didn’t have the expertise. As usually happens under such governance, investment left the province and upwards of 180,000 jobs were lost along the way.
Interestingly, the NDP recently wrote their own definition of socialism in an effort to claim the UCP as the real socialist party. One only has to read the NDP Socialist Manifesto which clearly matches the policies we experienced during their four years in power. I guess they forgot to check with Webster. It really sounds like them. From any perspective, someone who believes government needs to be involved in people’s lives clearly fits into the left wing of the spectrum, not the right. Our shut down coal towns that piloted an early version of the ‘Just Transition’ plan could fill us in on how that turned out for them.
After our 2019 ‘take back of the province’ we successfully re-grew our economy regardless of COVID and the NDP’s continued attempts to remake the province with ‘politically correct’ pablum built on propaganda. We allowed them to continue to demean our industries, our companies and our way of life because we were busy once again becoming one of the strongest economic contributors to Canada. All that despite increasing carbon taxes and growing inflation. NDP and the Liberals teamed up as a ‘Party of One’ and have gladly ‘put up’ with the strong and growing revenue from our ‘nasty energy businesses’ which has been quickly flying out of Canada in a show of importance. However, pipelines remain cancelled with only one begrudgingly being
completed after a stall for several years. However, we need to direct our attention to the greatest concern we are now facing – besides the election of course! The NDP/Liberal Alliance voted to proceed with censorship through the CRTC over our news media, our use of social media and other internet access. That not only affects our personal lives, but it will also affect our businesses. Who are these people? Government-funded mainstream media is going to love this. But, no more ‘turning the other cheek’. New media is on a growth path along with video journalism. Where is Elon Musk when you need him?