Decision Time

Within the next year Albertans will be asked to go to the polls for both a provincial and federal election.

The 2019 elections will be critically important for the future of our province. We are at a point where we need to decide if we want more of the same or if we need to change the direction things are going.

The number one issue in Calgary Confederation is ‘cutting the deficit’, but this will require us to elect governments that respect the taxpayer and future generations. It will take governments that are willing to make and implement tough decisions.

The second most important issue identified by residents is ‘getting pipelines built’, but this will require governments that are serious about helping Alberta get its resources to market. With unemployment stubbornly high and thousands of skilled workers seeking employment, our tax base shrinks and puts our most treasured government programs at risk.

Whether it is the issue of illegal immigration, crime, child poverty or infrastructure investments, we will see a variety of party positions to choose from.

We need a clean environment, but we also need a strong economy that can afford the innovation and investments that are necessary to make that happen. It is easy to set targets for pollution, but it is another thing to have a realistic plan to achieve them.

Spending on seniors, veterans, students and our most vulnerable means we need a strong tax base to support these spending priorities.

When parties and candidates come knocking at your door over the next year, I encourage you to make your concerns known, but also to ask them how they plan to pay for their promises.

Get involved. Your participation in the democratic process, and most importantly your vote, will determine where we go from here.