As Premier Danielle Smith kicks off her controversial Alberta Next panel tour, Alberta Federation of Labour (AFL) president Gil McGowan says the initiative is a “wolf in sheep’s clothing.”
“It’s clear that the real purpose of Danielle Smith’s Alberta Next panel is the exact opposite of what she says it is,” says Gil McGowan. “She says it’s an effort to defuse growing separatist sentiment in Alberta. But what Smith is really doing is providing yet another platform to magnify the grievances of her separatist base – who in no way, shape or form represent the views of the majority of Albertans. Saying you’re addressing separatism when you’re actually adding fuel to the fire isn’t just disingenuous, it’s downright Orwellian.”
McGowan adds that the Alberta Next initiative is the latest example of how the United Conservative Party (UCP) government is giving Albertans what they don’t want, while ignoring what they actually do want.
“Albertans want a healthcare system that works. They want well-funded schools, colleges and universities. They want profitable corporations to pay their fair share of taxes, to help repair our crumbling infrastructure. They want wages that keep up with inflation. They want a strategy for affordability, especially when it comes to housing. They want a real plan for diversifying our economy in a world threatened by climate change. They want strength, not appeasement when dealing with Trump.
“These are the things Albertans really want to see from their government. But, instead, we get the Alberta Next side show. It’s more political theatre from the UCP when what we really need is a responsible government; one that governs in the interests of the whole population, not just its narrow political base. The Alberta Next panel is not a solution – it’s an example and an illustration of what’s wrong with the Smith government.”
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