Giving back
February 12, 2008 | 01:18 PM
Cyril Cook
Infrastructure in my community has been a hot topic like many northern Alberta communities. A large influx of hard working men and women looking for wealth in the oil patch have found their jobs, thanks to Alberta’s “Texas tea” and the energy companies. What they didn’t expect to see were sinking roads, lack of schools, and insufficient medical care.
A partial solution for the north lies about an hour's drive west of Grande Prairie, in Dawson Creek, B.C. They have a fantastic agreement with their province, called B.C.’s fair share plan, where a percentage of the oil and gas revenue go back to the communities where the work is being done. It provides a source of long-term funding for infrastructure that northern B.C. cities can rely on. Local councillor Bill Given says a similar plan in Alberta would give Grande Prairie an extra $23 million per year.
Needless to say I was disappointed that all the party’s platforms have ignored B.C.’s fair share plan and will not replicate it here. However, there is some hope with politicians like the Liberal candidate for Grande Prairie Smokey, John Croken. When speaking about returning five percent of the oil and gas revenue to the city he said, “I’m going to be aggressive about that if I’m elected."
Failing that, perhaps we need to take a page out of Progressive Conservative MLA Ted Morton’s famous “fire
wall” letter and build a northern Alberta version. No more relying on the northern Alberta tea until we get
our fair share.
Comments: (1)
GET OUR FAIR SHARE.
Albertans in general have not been getting our fair share. I would agree with you Northern Albertans have been giving to much to Southern Alberta especially Calgary. Where it seems that all the head offices for oil company's are located. Maybe one of the reasons we are not getting OUR FAIR SHARE is that these oil companies donate large amounts of money the PC's and Liberals. Taking a page out of the corporate book they are doing this to get a return on their investment. Donation to PC's and Liberals means don't be in a rush to up those royalties.
Just because I am not a fan of big corporate oil companies does not mean I realize that they are huge economic drivers within our Alberta economy. Just unfortunately the way that we are going they are becoming the only drivers in our economy. Just look at all the jobs that have been lost in Northern Alberta via the Forestry Industry and Petrochemical industry. Other Progressive Conservative governments at least owned part of the economy so that we could get a rate of return on our investment. For example with the boom in housing the Alberta government could not take advantage of the increase in value in property as it had sold all it property years ago.
Posted February 13, 2008 08:42 AM