Friday Focus: Eyes on the Future

Caution, Hazards Ahead!

With the arrival of the omicron COVID-19 variant, there are inevitably tough decisions ahead for the Alberta government. While only a few cases have been discovered in Alberta so far, it’s only a matter of time before this new variant requires decisive action. 

Sadly, it’s hard to trust the UCP government to deal with this new threat. Even after their disastrous handling of the third wave, Kenney’s crew still saw fit to abandon all restrictions and bulldoze ahead with their reckless “open for summer” plan. Worse yet, when signs clearly showed the fourth wave on the horizon, the UCP took weeks to catch up to what experts and everyday Albertans already knew: protective measures were needed. It’s now critical that we don’t let down our guard. The UCP must not make the same mistakes this time. People's lives and livelihoods depend on it.

Post-Secondary Deserves Better

The UCP government has announced $55 million for the University of Alberta to fund vaccine development. It’s a nice change to see the government funding a project at one of our PSE institutions and taking COVID more seriously, but it also highlights how dangerous the UCP’s post-secondary cuts are. The U of A’s status as a world-class university has attracted the kind of talent that can take on the difficult task of developing a vaccine. Unfortunately, that status is under grave threat thanks to over half a billion in budget cuts to post-secondary institutions across Alberta. 

If we want our universities and colleges to be thriving hubs of innovation and potent economic drivers, we need a government that invests in them, not slashes their budgets. If Alberta continues down this path, we won’t be able to turn to universities during our next time of need. Knowledge isn’t an expense to be cut. It’s an asset to invest in. 

Ahead of the Curve 

This week had more reminders of just how vital the Alberta Liberal’s pragmatic and forward-thinking approach is to Alberta politics. News stories this week included Alberta’s need for a sales tax to get off the fiscal roller coaster and the importance of an abandoned well cleanup plan that requires oil and gas companies to clean up their messes. 

Only the Alberta Liberals seriously advocated taking action on these ideas in the past. That’s why it’s critical we build our party into one that elects MLAs to the Legislature, forms the government and delivers the solutions Alberta needs