The Friday Focus: Inventing problems instead of finding solution.

The Friday Focus is a weekly blog post from Alberta Liberal Leader John Roggeveen. It covers some of the major topics in Alberta Politics each week. 

Politics is supposed to be about finding solutions. But the UCP isn’t doing that. While Albertans are dealing with high rents, houselessness, and food insecurity, all the UCP government is doing is creating division. 

Last week, after spending your money to justify it, the UCP laid out a plan to set up an Alberta Pension Plan to replace the CPP, which doesn’t need fixing. At the same time, even before the draft federal net-zero regulations are finalized, the UCP is giving them a “hard no”.  

Instead of trying to work toward reasonable solutions, it’s spending $8 million of taxpayers’ dollars to stoke dissent over draft federal net-zero electrical grid regulations. The regulations try to limit the extent of climate change and avoid an environmental crisis. You would think that would be a priority after the highest global temperatures ever recorded. Instead, the UCP is going to its typical, worn-out attack on “Ottawa.”

The UCP is trying to distract Albertans from how their own policies have made Albertans’ lives harder. Under  Smith’s regime, electricity prices are both the highest and fastest rising in the country. And their moratorium on new renewable energy projects is just going to make things worse by killing investment, reducing jobs, curtailing future energy supply, and limiting cost-reducing market competition.

Alberta needs to reform its electricity market to be both more stable, affordable, and environmentally sustainable. I’m listening to Albertans and experts to figure out a balanced approach to help Albertans. Isn’t it time your government put down their pitchforks and did what’s best for Albertans? 

Albertans need a government that can ensure we all have access to top-quality health care, world-class education, and housing. We need leaders ready to listen. Leaders who can help us work together on goals that make us all proud. Leaders who put people’s real needs first.

Alberta needs an Alberta Liberal government. 

I hope you’ll join me on October 14th at our Annual General Meeting in Edmonton to help build our party.

We have the values and the vision. But we still have a lot of hard work ahead. Join me in the rebuilding process. Together we can pave a path forward for Alberta. 

Sincerely, 

John 

P.S. Don’t miss my interview on The Breakdown podcast. You can find the full interview here.