I don’t understand the “Alberta First” attitude when it comes to the oil industry. Our economy is in the mess it is in because we have no other industry in this province. If a politician really wants to put Alberta first, you would think they would be running on a platform of economic diversification, not doubling down on coal and petroleum. For a province that is traditionally conservative, you would think there would be more people speaking out about the over-subsidization of the oil industry. As lawyer Eugene Kung famously said: “The idea of building this [Trans Mountain pipeline] expansion, which essentially locks in production and expansion of the oil sands for the next several decades, is the exact wrong direction we need to go. It'd be like building a Blockbuster Video franchise in 2012."
The point is, oil is past its prime. Holding out for just one more boom is basically the low hanging fruit that gets gobbled up by politicians with no plan or ethics. That strategy only serves to get them elected, it does not serve the future of the population they supposedly represent.
My livelihood has always depended upon the petroleum industry. I have lived through many booms and busts and my family benefited and suffered accordingly. I don’t understand why we continue to allow our politicians to lock us into an economy that is dependent upon a dying industry. Yes jobs are on the line but we don’t see blacksmiths lining up for subsidies to keep their industry alive. It is tough but we need to adapt. Economies must evolve.
“My formula for success is rise early, work late, and strike oil.” - J. Paul Getty (1892 - 1976)
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