Pipelines
In January, the BC Government announced that they would restrict the transportation of oilsands crude by pipeline and rail. I said that there must be consequences, not just actions. At the time, I supported and was happy to see Premier Notley take action and boycott BC wine. Unfortunately, the Alberta Government let up on the pressure by dropping the wine ban just two weeks later. The BC government is still working to stop the TransMountain pipeline, and pursuing further legal action will add uncertainty to the project. Make no mistake, this is a stall tactic by the BC government and they will try to delay the project indefinitely. The Federal Government can use its authority under Section 92 (10)(c) of the Constitution to declare Kinder Morgan TransMountain pipeline in the national interest, which would end the BC NDPs strategy to delay the project.
Reigniting the Economy and Balancing the Budget
On February 28, the Alberta Government released the Third Quarter Fiscal Update, which showed the government collecting less money than anticipated because recent tax increases continue to deter economic activity. On the same day, Stats Canada released data showing projected investment in oil and gas this year is down $35 billion compared to 2014, a 61 percent drop. Alberta’s Government can no longer blame the flee of investment oil prices when investment in oil and gas increases in jurisdictions such as Saskatchewan and the United States.
Session Look-Ahead
On March 8 the Alberta Government will announce their priorities for the upcoming session in the Speech from the Throne. The upcoming session will have plenty of opportunities for the Official Opposition to hold the government account, first with the Speech from the Throne and then with the release of the budget on March 22. I have made the promise that myself and caucus colleagues will bring a high level of decorum to the Legislature. We will ask the government tough questions and stand up for hard-working Albertans and common-sense ideas, but it will be conducted in a respectful manner.
Please feel free to contact me through my Constituency Office, 311A, 2525 Woodview Dr. SW, [email protected] or by calling 403 238-1212.
