Who could have seen this one coming? Left Wing Policy and Consequences

This winter has been tougher on all of us financially; I have yet to run across anyone who is clicking their heels together talking about all the “Sunny Ways” coming to fruition.  High electricity, natural gas, and fuel prices resulting in increases in grocery prices, and all of the other expenses that come with our day-to-day living are creating incredible stresses for everyone. For those who are the most vulnerable like families and our seniors, there isn’t much money left, if any, at the end of the month.  Recent statistics say that over 20% of Canadian households are in this situation. Believe it or not, in Alberta, we are in better shape than most of the other provinces. But that doesn’t mean that life hasn’t gotten harder for most folks.

1. The insidious Carbon Levy (it’s not a tax, because if it were, you wouldn’t be able to charge GST, which is a tax on top of it, which is why they made it a levy. Slippery, aren’t they?) is a compounding and increasing burden on every single thing we produce or consume.  It does not target behaviors; it hits everything indiscriminately.
2. Brutal fiscal management and planning, “Self-Balancing Budgets”, overspending, socialist free everything, hindering small businesses and private sector entities.
3. Burgeoning, and bloating the public sector, which does not generate revenue but only consumes
4. Overbuilding power transmission lines
5. Premature acceleration in phasing out coal-fired power plants
6. Breaking contract obligations
7. Inflation caused by fiscal policy, printing cash and devaluing the dollar
8. Racking up more debt than all other federal administrations combined (which would include the cost of WW2)

We receive many calls and emails at our offices asking what we are going to do about it as a provincial government. Quite frankly, I am proud to list the many things our government has done and will continue to do to help during these tough times, dealing with the pressures that have been created and are impacting everyday Albertans.  We were fortunate to have a windfall from oil revenues and constrained our spending to cap expenditures.  Balancing a budget with planning and discipline allowed us to be able to give you your dollars back when needed in the following areas:

• • Targeted relief payments for seniors and families with dependent children under 18 years of age with household incomes below $180,000 per year
  • Targeted relief payments to vulnerable Albertans collecting AISH, PDD and Income Support
  • Suspension of the full 13-cents-per-litre tax on gasoline and diesel from January to June 2023, with the Fuel Tax Relief program providing ongoing relief subject to oil prices thereafter
  • Indexing the Alberta Child and Family Benefit to inflation
  • Protecting consumers on the regulated electricity rate from price spikes in January, February, and March 2023
  • Indexing personal income taxes to inflation, retroactive to the 2022 tax year
  • Natural gas price protection: regulation amendments will be tabled in early 2023 enhancing the Natural Gas Rebate program beyond its current March 30, 2023 end date to provide permanent natural gas price protection.

The Left is completely out of touch. None of us can afford any more taxes, let alone one that has yet to be shown to have any effect or one that lacks a clear trail to where all the money has gone.  It is abundantly clear that the Liberal-NDP socialist coalition is hell-bent on driving the average person into poverty, so they can “save them” with their own tax dollars. It seems that making people dependent on a government for survival is part of the “Sunny Ways” plan. We have never been in more dire circumstances when it comes to a socialist ideology coming to fruition on a national scale. 

In Alberta, we are bucking that trend; it’s worse in the rest of the country, believe it or not. I’m hoping the provincial NDP come to their senses and join us in asking for the feds to back off, but I won’t hold my breath, as they are having one big love-in currently with their “Hard Left Coalition”.

While inflation isn’t something the government decides on, their past decisions directly impact how inflation reacts.  The inflation rate peaked this summer at 8.1%, and although it has been slowly declining, food and gas prices still remain high.  With increased inflation comes increased mortgage rates, which is also taking away a good portion of peoples’ wages. Interest rates have increased; in March 2022, the interest rate was 0.5%, and on January 25^th, another increase was announced, bringing it to 4.5%.  An increase of 4% in 10 months!

Have we seen any sign of relief or indexing from our federal counterparts when it comes to CPP, GIS, EI Benefits, Child Tax Benefits, or Disability Benefits?  Have they gone back through the past three years and dug into what got us here?

I am a strong believer in fiscal responsibility not only for us personally, but I expect it from all levels of government.

Social programming is essential for strong families, communities, provinces, and countries.  We need to have a safety net to help when people are in need.  We don’t need someone at the head of the country making poor financial decisions that are pushing more and more people into dire situations and making them dependent on these programs.  We need to have the rainy-day funds available when it rains.  The only way you do that is to curb spending, pay down debt, save, and invest in the future.

So, when people contact my office asking what we are doing about it, I can honestly say the province is trying… but is the Government of Canada trying?! 

Do you think all the promises made by the provincial NDP are funded out of thin air and not your bank account or, more to the point, your kid’s bank account?  Who pays the bill, and how much will that interest be when they get the cheque?  It’s easy for the hero at the end of the bar to buy a round for the house when it’s on someone else’s tab.

I encourage anyone who is struggling right now to reach out to your federal Member of Parliament and ask these questions, let them know how their decisions, past and present, have and continue to impact you.  Make sure we help one another; mental health is an issue right now with all of these other challenges, let alone piling on a financial crunch. 

We will weather this storm and come out on top, but we sure as heck won’t do it by throwing cash and caution to the wind, no matter how the spin doctors spin it.

Sincerely,

Shane Getson