Everyone needs more of our best-in-the-world Canadian energy, our Alberta energy. As the economic engine of this country, it is imperative that Alberta takes a strong stand when it comes to any level of government enacting anti-energy policies that will hurt our province and our people. .As global demand for oil and gas increases, Canada must vie to be a world leader in supplying our ethically-sourced resources – not only to benefit from the inside, but to help other countries transition off conflict oil, and off other high-emissions energies like coal or wood burning in places like China and India..At Alberta Proud, we take issue when politicians get in the way of our prosperity. It just so happens that the Quebec Legault government is doing just that. .As part of the Legault government’s misguided mission to phase out hydrocarbons, the province has brought Bill 21 into law – banning oil and natural gas exploration in Quebec over the next three years and offering pittances to those companies currently operating in the province as it phases them out. (This is not to be confused with the Bill 21 of 2019 – banning Quebec public workers in positions of authority from wearing religious symbols such as turbans and hijabs). .Alberta headquartered companies Pieridae, Repsol and Questerre Energy have all filed legal actions in response to the revocation of their permits. Utica Resources, which controls 20% of all oil and gas claims in Quebec, has filed a lawsuit seeking billions from the bill being implemented. The industry is up in arms over how this Quebec law will impact future investment into Canada. .Following a fall 2021 referendum whereby Alberta voted over 61% in favour of re-doing the equalization formula to revamp the archaic redistribution of wealth in this country, you can bet this latest move by the Quebec government will solidify frustrations for Albertans. .What we’re saying is that it’s time for the Quebec Legault government to take a hike. And it's time for our government to get serious about Alberta autonomy. That means it’s time to turn our focus to all the ways we can make ourselves more self-governing and respected by the other provinces in Canada – this includes our own provincial police force, pension plans and revenue agency. .It’s also well past time to boycott any company that works for Quebec from doing any business in our province – companies like SNC Lavalin. As long as Quebec wants to block our pipelines, expropriate our companies and barricade us from prosperity, we need to get tough on trade and turn off the taps. Period. .This all ties in directly to what is happening politically in Alberta. We are in the middle of a critical leadership race in our province. There are seven candidates vying to replace Premier Jason Kenney and lead the UCP party to take on the NDP next spring and solidify another four years of provincial conservative leadership. .As “More Alberta, Less Ottawa” becomes a central theme to this race, it seems to matter less to people the actual viability of what some of these candidates are saying – as long as they are promising they will stand up to the Eastern elites and stand up for Alberta..Just as Ontario and Quebec have their own police, pension plans and revenue agencies, Alberta needs to do the same. If we want our autonomy to be taken seriously, we need to take serious action. Ottawa bureaucrats will never care for us the way we will care for ourselves. .The push for an Alberta provincial police force is in no way to slight our RCMP officers. But our frontlines could be doing the same good work in Alberta police service uniforms instead of wearing Ottawa boots. .It’s tough enough to deal with Ottawa fighting against us, and with the provincial election on the horizon the NDP are preparing an all-out assault to try and take back the reins of power. .Just remember folks, the anti-resource, anti-business NDP that wreaked havoc and wrapped the province up in red tape is a serious threat to our prosperity at home. For example, let us not forget their aggressive plans on early phase-out of coal plants – costing a cool $1.36B for paying out three coal-fired electric plants alone for their sweeping climate change legislation. .Unity is key for our province next spring. While we’re at it, let’s work on getting Alberta to evolve into a senior partner on the federal stage. .I encourage all Albertans voting for the next UCP leader to exercise your leadership vote carefully and make sure you cast your ballot for the candidate who can unite the UCP to defeat the NDP in 2023, ensure we have a four-year term of putting Alberta first, and work towards making Alberta a self-sufficient province just like Ontario and Quebec get to be..Lindsay Wilson.President, Alberta Proud
