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Alberta Party Caucus calls for jobs, not loans, for Albertans
Alberta Party Caucus calls for jobs, not loans, for Albertans
December 18, 2018 (Calgary) – MLA Greg Clark, the Alberta Party Caucus Energy Critic, said today the federal government’s announcement does nothing for the oil and gas industry and does nothing to save or create jobs in Alberta.
“It's like everything from Ottawa: it's not what we need, it's not what we want and it's not what we asked for," said Clark. “Alberta has lost more than 100,000 jobs since 2015. The federal government’s answer is business development and export development loans and training that might help create jobs in the next five to ten years.
“None of that helps us today. Albertans need jobs and concrete solutions that lead to jobs today – not five to ten years down the road. The federal government is responsible for the current mess we’re facing on pipelines, and the NDP clearly isn’t getting results.
“Work sharing and income supports are band-aid solutions on a mortal wound. The best way to get out of work Albertans back on the job is getting a pipeline built. The best way to prevent further job losses is to get a pipeline built. The federal government’s approach smacks of defeatism, and doesn’t do anything to improve takeaway capacity.
“Today’s announcement doesn’t get us any closer to new markets. It doesn’t get us any closer to any new jobs to replace the ones that have been lost to date. And as the federal government has clearly told us today, there is nothing coming from this government to support oil and gas – it’s all about transitioning to a greener economy in the next ten-plus years. They keep telling us they’re working on it – but we don’t need activity. We need results, and clearly there aren’t going to be any results forthcoming from the federal or NDP governments.
“The Alberta Party Caucus is the only party that can get Alberta's energy sector back up and running and Albertans back to work, so we can restore investor confidence, diversify the economy and lead the world in environmental and social sustainability as we get pipelines built.”
Federal announcement a $1.6 billion PR move that makes no sense
December 18, 2018 (Edmonton) – Today’s federal announcement of $1.6 billion in support for Alberta’s energy sector is another example of the feds and province reacting to problems of their own creation.
“Corporate welfare is not a solution. Government’s job is to create the conditions which will allow our entrepreneurs and energy sector to succeed. This announcement does nothing to actually expand market access. It is a $1.6 billion PR move that makes no practical sense,” said Alberta Party leader Stephen Mandel.
“Until we have more pipeline access or more railway capacity, this government needs to remove the barriers to market access that they have created with Bill C-48 and Bill C-69. Throwing money at us doesn’t solve the root cause of the problems,” concluded Mandel.
50 Candidates Announced for 2019 Election
The Alberta Party hit a milestone this weekend with the announcement of Paul Godard in Calgary -Bow riding, with a total number of 50 candidates across Alberta.
Many other Constituency Associations have nominations scheduled for the new year, with the commitment of having 87 candidates in the province for the next election.
The candidates are broad in their experience, background and all are committed to the Alberta Party Vision for Alberta.
To find out more about the candidates in your riding check our candidates pages.
If you would like to run in one of our open ridings you can find out more information here.
Happy Holidays from the Alberta Party Caucus
Our caucus is wishing all Albertans a safe and happy holiday season.
With things in Edmonton slowing down in preparation for Christmas, our MLAs took some time to share Christmas and holiday greetings.
For our last newsletter of the year, we would also like to take some time to thank all of our supporters. The work we do in the legislature is done on your behalf, and we couldn't do it without you.
We will return in the new year to keep you up to date on what our caucus is up to, but until then, Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from the Alberta Party Caucus.
We Already Have a Made in Alberta Plan Ready to Deploy
December 11, 2018 (Edmonton) – “Today’s announcement by Rachel Notley’s NDP about pursuing an expression of interest in the development of a new Alberta refinery is yet another example of this government’s indecision and reactivity,” said Alberta Party Leader Stephen Mandel.
“We already have a made in Alberta plan ready to deploy. Phase 2 and 3 expansions of the North West Refinery have the necessary regulatory approvals, are construction ready, and incorporate carbon capture – helping to reduce the environmental impact of upgrading our resources.
“It’s naïve to believe that with the increasingly restrictive regulatory burden the Province and Federal Government have created that this can be done quickly. Expansion of North West Refinery could be online within five years, where the Notley NDP plan announced today would take at least a decade to see a refinery come online.