Alberta has once again got a conservative government, much to the delight of a large number of Albertans.
I believe that the UCP government is going to have to take a look at adopting some of the good ideas of the other parties — possibly something like the $25 a day child care, more and better schools and hospitals, as well as upgraded infrastructure such as roads and bridges. These projects create many jobs.
Where will we get the money for these projects? Former premier Rachel Notley had planned to use the revenues from the poorly-thought-out carbon tax to fund these projects.
Many Albertans are grateful that this tax will be axed by the UCP government because it taxes absolutely essential products for Albertans like gas for vehicles and home heating fuels. However, that revenue will have to be replaced in order to fund the above projects.
Alberta has nursed off the teat of the oil industry for at least 80 years and it has taken us from boom to bust several times. Our latest boom ended a few years ago and now we're in another bust.
We have to learn how to help ourselves through good times and bad.
I think the only way that we can accomplish that is to impose Liberal Leader David Kahn's idea of implementing a provincial sales tax in Alberta.
It really does make a lot of sense.
It is the only way we have to keep some wealth in Alberta and to improve the lives of all Albertans. This tax will carry us through bad times and really improve the economy during the downturns.
Pipelines are very important to our economy but we have to be able to weather the storms when the price of oil falls for whatever reason.
If there was some way that all parties could work together for the betterment of our province I think we could accomplish so much more than having everybody pulling in different directions. Then our province would be an even better place to live than it already is.
We must never forget that we live in the best province in the best country in the world. You just have to watch the news to know that.
Ken Heck,
Eagle Hill
