Stewart Jeanes is a businessman. I’m struck by the antipathy shown toward Danielle Smith by my inner-city neighbours. I put it down to the urban/rural divide affecting Alberta politics. I think I understand how things came to be the way they are. The legacy Progressive Conservative Party split, the conservatives live outside Alberta’s urban centres, and the progressives live near me. So, for the sake of the public good, I’ve tasked myself with making the case for Premier Danielle Smith to my respected, smart, and much-loved neighbours. Are you ready?.OLDCORN: ‘Internal rules’ and denied votes — the shadow over Scott Moe’s 81% leadership review support.It's not an easy task. Query anyone who earns their living changing minds, and they will tell you people are typically resistant to alternative points of view. They’re happy with their opinion just as it is, thank you very much. From time to time, however, when a neighbour is willing to engage in friendly back and forth, I find it’s easy to garner a more sympathetic view for the Premier.A case in point is the recent Alberta Teachers’ Association labour disruption. Despite already operating with a provincial deficit of $6 billion, the Premier is characterized by many as parsimonious for not agreeing to an additional $2 billion request for the teachers (on top of the $2.6 billion already on offer). Further burdening Alberta taxpayers, and most importantly Alberta’s future taxpayers (the ones not enjoying the benefits of an education during the ATA strike) with increased deficits does no one (except bankers) any good. .I keep various charts and data handy on my cell phone to help make the case for the Premier — it’s not that we don’t have the money to satisfy the ATA (and other critical public sector workers), it’s that the money is taken from Albertans by whichever federal party holds government in order to buy votes in other parts of Canada. The conversation, when I get to have one, often goes something like this: Don’t believe me, believe the federal government. I’ll say while showing the following graphic from Canada’s Library of Parliament. Bar graphs are simple to read, but I enjoy interpreting the data for people. The conversation typically continues as follows:.Check out this graphic! It shows where the federal government’s revenues come from, and where that revenue is spent on a per capita basis. Look! No doubt you’re surprised to learn that Ottawa gets the most money from Albertans. Would you care to guess where Ottawa spends the least money?At this point, people often see where the conversation is going, and they sheepishly answer … On Albertans?.Exactly. We all know the need for taxes. The government takes money from us, and in return, they supply services, infrastructure, etc. In Alberta’s case, however, the juice is not worth the squeeze. Instead of criticizing the Premier, we should thank her. Consider that the federal government has obstructed 1 million barrels of oil exports per day for political reasons. That’s about $29 billion of annual Alberta GDP that has been cancelled. How many billions in tax revenue to pay teachers and firefighters are gone? Smith is the only provincial leader calling out the federal government over this unfair attack on Albertans’ prosperity..Wow, $5000 per Alberta man, woman, and child. My wife is running me and our three kids. That’s $25,000 per year taken from our family to buy votes…er, rather to buy insolvent EV battery plants in Quebec, and other such nonsense. Meanwhile, Alberta’s public sector is unfairly squeezed by a lack of funds, and our teachers, instead of practicing the professions they’ve trained for, must deal with intolerable classroom conditions.Now, I don’t mind offering my fellow Canadians help when they need it, but this disparity has been going on for decades, and it must be particularly galling for the 20% of Alberta youth who are unemployed and who would benefit from a stronger economy if more of Alberta’s taxes stayed in Alberta. At what point do my inner-city neighbours take a page from the Premier’s book and start to stand up for the person standing up for Albertans — Danielle Smith? .Of course, when changing minds, it’s best not to drone on for too long (I thank my wife for this wisdom). I often try, however, to deliver one final nudge in Danielle Smith’s direction. I ask my neighbour to consider the alternative — Naheed Nenshi — by reviewing some of his criticisms of our Premier. Mr. Nenshi is fond of saying, for instance, that Danielle Smith loves to pick fights. I would not characterize the Premier as picking fights, but rather as willing to engage on behalf of Albertans when federal legislation singles out our industries as harmful and oversteps their constitutional authority. I presume then, if he is unwilling to fight, that Mr. Nenshi would have no objection to the proposed federal emissions cap for the oil and gas industry, thereby endorsing a cut in production that would result in an estimated 151,000 lost Alberta jobs by 2030. And all the tax revenue that goes with it. God forbid Nenshi is ever premier. I prefer a fighter.Stewart Jeanes is a businessman. He moved to Alberta for two years, thirty-seven years ago. He admires Albertans for their entrepreneurial spirit and the ambitious people from all over the world who choose to be Albertans.
