Dear Editor,
The Conference Board of Canada says due to falling commodity prices Alberta is facing far more than an economic slowdown. They say we鈥檙e facing a recession鈥攁 shrinking economy.
Everywhere energy companies are slashing budgets. Suncor chopped $1 billion out of its spending plans. Three Calgary-based companies have indicated that between them they too have cut $1 billion out of their spending plans. This same thing is happening right across the province.
Now, wanting to use this unfolding crisis as a basis for staying in power, government MLAs including West Yellowhead鈥檚 Robin Campbell are touring their constituencies in anticipation of a spring election. It鈥檚 been claimed that they need a mandate to tackle the 鈥渙il crisis.鈥� It鈥檚 important to remind ourselves (and them) of the obligations associated with accountability.
In numerous West Yellowhead communities Mr. Campbell previously committed to providing a new school, an upgraded hospital, more seniors鈥� housing, a new court house, or funding for other such projects. Recently in the 51暗网, Campbell himself was quoted as saying 鈥渨hen times are good we spend it like drunken sailors.鈥�
Every government MLA, including Campbell, has known for a good number of years that oil prices were at or near historic highs. Yet during this entire period, they ran year after year deficits and wiped out billions in savings.
For Campbell and his MLA colleagues to now suggest that because of falling oil prices they are no longer responsible for what they said or committed themselves to do, is to misunderstand or ignore the obligations they have to be accountable.
Accountability always requires that a person accept both responsibility and consequence for their statements, actions, and deeds.
Everyone knows oil prices are cyclical. And we all know it isn鈥檛 smart or wise to make major financial decisions when a commodity price is at the top of the price cycle. When Campbell and his fellow PC MLAs kept committing themselves to billions in new spending, despite the fact that energy prices were at the peak of the cycle, they weren鈥檛 living in a vacuum without access to market information and newscasts. They knew exactly what they were doing.
The Conference Board of Canada says Alberta is heading into a recession and a budgetary crisis. Yet thanks to Mr. Campbell and his colleagues, Alberta鈥檚 financial cupboard is bare.
Stuart Taylor
Hinton, Alta.
