To those gentle readers that bemoan the passing of the PC government, let us ask them to explain why Alberta with all of its resources is billions in debt after they had 44 years of absolute power.
Every newly elected NDP and Wildrose MLA should read Shredding the Public Interest by Kevin Taft, published by The University of Alberta Press and the Parkland Institute. This book shows the scale of private sector subsidies which was a massive transfer of public wealth into private hands.
Alberta has developed the most heavily subsidized private sector in Canada. Peter Lougheed often stated that Alberta's petroleum resources belong to the people but the past PC governments treated the Alberta treasury as a trough filled with money to be looted at will.
You can expect the energy industry to begin scare tactics in order to influence the new government but the oil and gas belong to us and we demand a fair payment for our resource. The resources are here in Alberta. If the current industry does not want to play fair and pay an honest rate then perhaps other companies would be willing to replace them.
Frank Piorkowski, St. Albert
