Alberta’s Premier was busily boosting Alberta’s future economy in a second “official” visit to his homeland of Ontario over the weekend. Jason Kenney reportedly regaled Bay Street investors of the Fire Sale on regulations and taxes in Alberta. The “Rookie Premier” was hoping to melt some hearts with promises that his upstart provincial government will not cater to “flavour of the month” fads like carbon reduction policies.  

Yes, Alberta is apparently open for business to those who have a burning desire to burrow their heads within a pro-business regulatory environment that won’t shackle anyone but large emitters with support for climate change mitigation. As any great businessman knows, there are few more stellar moments to light the fires of investor confidence than while the province you’re hustling for is actually on fire. 

Doesn’t it spark your curiosity as to why both the federal and provincial governments decided to ignore the cost in dealing with climate-related problems in their messaging? Alberta’s drier than usual summers have fanned the flames of human-caused fires over the past few years. The Slave Lake fire cost $700 million. At last report, costs of the 2016 Fort McMurray fire were estimated at $9 billion (and counting). But the water bombs don’t stop there; flooding in the province is also a continuing, and costly, threat.

The 2013 flood in southern Alberta costs were estimated to be around $6 billion and for those who want to get swept away in the accounting, a list detailing which level of government has spent how much, on what, was released in 2018. Good conservatives, of course, know that it doesn’t matter which level of government is footing the bill because the money all comes from the same place: taxes. Each level just has a larger pool of tax dollars to access.

That is, unless you’re Alberta who ushered in a government on a wing and a prayer that this time, trickle-down economics will definitely work. Surely the Bay Street crew is feeling the lure of that siren song by now… unless it’s all just smoke and mirrors. Some people are suggesting that Kenney’s greater goal is to stump for CPC candidates on Alberta’s dime. As always, it’s important we don’t light our hair on fire without photographic evidence on social media thanking Kenney for supporting federal Conservative Party candidates in Ontario.

Now let’s have a great week, Alberta! 

This post contains both fact and opinion and is likely an offense to good punmanship. There is no intention on behalf of the writer to make light of the fires, floods, current or past hardships of those who have been through such. Instead, it is pointing out the ridiculous actions and commentary of the Rookie Premier while Albertans are being evacuated from their homes.

Deirdre Mitchell-MacLean

contact: [email protected]

Twitter: @Mitchell_AB for all the commentary, @thisweekinAB for posts