Liberal Budget Abandons Alberta’s Economy
Chris Warkentin, Member of Parliament for Grande Prairie – Mackenzie, defended oil and gas workers in the House of Commons today. Reacting to the failure of the Liberal Government to stand up for hardworking Alberta families, Warkentin laid out a plan to bolster the Canadian economy and provide jobs for thousands of out-of-work Albertans. Warkentin noted that the energy sector provides thousands of jobs directly and thousands more through related industries.
“The oil and gas industry is an essential part of Alberta’s economy,” Warkentin said. “I am proud of the industry and the people who work there.” “The Liberal budget could have announced a plan to approve the Energy East and Trans-Mountain pipelines or new LNG projects,” Warkentin said. “But they didn’t.” “The Liberals have failed Alberta families.”
Pipelines would create more Canadian jobs and would also ensure that more Canadians can use Canadian oil. In 2013 Canada paid $26.3 billion dollars to import foreign oil, accounting for over 42 percent of the oil Canadian’s use. $26.3 billion dollars would create a lot of Canadian jobs. These projects wouldn’t cost the government. They would lead to more government revenues through royalties and taxes that could pay for better healthcare, education and infrastructure for every Canadian.
“It’s time for the Liberal government to reverse its opposition to these pipeline and energy projects,” Warkentin stated. “It’s time for the Liberals to stop making life more difficult for hard-working Alberta families. It’s time they started defending opportunity, prosperity and hope for all Canadians.”
-30- For more information, please contact Chris Warkentin, MP: (613) 992-5685
Video can be found at: http://bit.ly/1oRGNkm