There was a time when fiscally-conservative voters in Ontario could look to Alberta as an example of responsible management (not to mention the recent Liberal-inspired disgrace of Ontario becoming a Have-Not province and needing Alberta's support.) But now even that shred of hope seems to be evaporating into the mire of *CINO Premier Alison Redford's latest budget. [*Conservative In Name Only] Derek Fildebrandt, Alberta director of the Canadian Taxypayers Federation laments (via the National Post):
“The government seems to think being debt-free is a weird, quirky Albertan thing and that it’s somehow embarrassing to some of their friends.. I think being debt-free is a point of pride for Alberta, and rightfully so. Do we really want to join the same fiscal class as Ontario? As Quebec? As the federal government?”
( . . . )
“If there’s one message to take away from this budget, it’s: Don’t trust them. Don’t trust the government. They have cooked the books to an unprecedented level. I’ve never seen anything like this on the federal or provincial scene anywhere in the country.”FP's Terence Corcoran is not impressed either (Alberta Blames it on the Forecast):
...The trouble, however, is not the forecasting. It is in the all-consuming obsession of politicians and governments to spend and tax as much as possible as often as possible. The crashing reality of Alberta’s fiscal situation is nothing more than a standard political blunder. Quebec did it. Ontario’s Dalton McGuinty did it. Any government — for that matter any corporation or family — that makes spending plans on the basis of an obvious cyclical peak in the price of something is heading for a crash...The Calgary Sun's Rick Bell points out, "We haven’t seen the province unable to balance their daily expense chequebook like this since back when Ralph took over the reins, pledging to sort out the financial dog’s breakfast of that day — and doing it."
Welcome to Lemmingville, Alberta! You picked Redford instead of Danielle Smith. Now you and the ROC have to face the consequences.
It takes guts to vote for a Ralph Klein or a Mike Harris.
