Alberta’s NDP government took a few pages from the United Conservative playbook in its Speech from the Throne March 8, says Barrhead-Morinville-Westlock MLA Glenn van Dijken.
“One thing that I’ll say is that I think the Official Opposition has been very effective, over the last three years, in working to get this NDP government to recognize the need to support the energy industry instead of continually working against it,” said the local United Conservative Party MLA shortly after the speech was delivered March 8 at the Legislature by Lt. -Gov. Lois Mitchell.
“I’m hoping this government has recognized that the energy industry, as well as all industries in Alberta, are integrally important in the wellbeing of all Albertans and the industry does provide the jobs necessary to feed and clothe our families.”
The leading focus of the speech, which sets out the government’s priorities for the legislative session, was the current spat with British Columbia over the expansion of the Trans Mountain Pipeline. B.C. has forbade the project, which has already received federal approval. Alberta has retaliated by temporarily banning wine from B.C., shutting down electricity sales talks and forming a task force of experts to provide the government with its best advice.
“Canada’s decades-long inability to diversify our export markets is holding us back, all of us,” read Mitchell.
“The dispute British Columbia triggered with its attack on Canadian workers will not stand. We won’t let it. We have been vigilant in defending our workers and we will remain vigilant.”
The government also made a threat to throttle oil and gas production in an effort to pressure the B.C. NDP government into giving up its attempt to stop the pipeline expansion project, something Alberta insists is out of the province’s jurisdiction anyway and something newly minted UCP leader Jason Kenney implied he would do earlier in the week.
“What’s nice about (the speech) is the fact the government is now essentially deciding to copy a lot of the language that we’ve been articulating for two, or three years. I guess Albertans will be the judge as to whether or not they can trust this government is honestly going to move forward in a free-enterprise manner that Albertans understand to be able to provide the great standard of living that we have,” said van Dijken, adding he’s looking forward to working with the government in promoting the pipeline.
The speech went on to talk about the diversification of the economy, getting off the boom and bust cycle and the choices made during the economic downturn that have seemingly led to the current upward swing.
van Dijken, for his part, said those “NDP policies have made it much worse than it ever had to be.”
Another notable portion of the speech was a section on rural crime.
“Today in Alberta, especially in rural areas, people are concerned for the safety of their homes, their property and the well-being of those they love,” Mitchell read. “That must change. Your government invests more than half a billion dollars annually into police services across the province.... Yet, more can be done to protect people and property and help Albertans feel safe.”
The government promised to implement “specific measures to better address the challenges of policing in rural communities and new measures to make sure people who refuse to obey the law are held to account.”
These included investing in new technology related to farm equipment, and making sure there are more “boots on the ground” where they are most needed.
This is all very familiar to van Dijken.
“Again, under Official Opposition Wildrose leader Brian Jean, over two years ago, we were challenging them that we needed to put more money towards the criminal justice system. I’ll tell you what drove us nuts about that, they kept telling us they didn’t have the money, yet at the same time they were spending $10 million just to advertise their carbon tax,” he said.
“Rule of law is key to any civil society being able to function, and when we don’t enforce rule of law we go down a road where we become dysfunctional and this government completely dropped the ball on that two years ago. They talk a good talk now, but we tried to bring it to the legislature last fall.”
van Dijken called the whole speech “posturing” for an expected election in 2019.
“There’s no doubt about it,” he said. “I guess Albertans have to make the decision if they trust what this government is saying, because just like the federal government, there’s a lot of nice words, but do Albertans trust that this NDP government actually believes what they’re saying?”
