Construction industry a key cog in driving Alberta forward
By Letter to the Editor on February 19, 2018.
Alberta Construction Association (ACA) recently sent MLAs a copy of our Capital Plan Recommendations ahead of the 2018 budget. With the development of schools, funding to various municipal public transit projects, and increasing need for expansion or construction on hospitals the province continues to have infrastructure needs that must be met regardless of economic circumstances. ACA recognizes that jobs are a priority of the government and keeping Albertans employed in good paying jobs is critical to the economic engine. Dramatic swings in infrastructure investment discourage young people from choosing a career in construction, discourage existing workers from remaining in construction, disrupt training of new apprentices, contribute to higher accident rates, and lead to financial hardship for companies. Our 3,000 member firms are all across the province and are of various size from single person contractors to larger firms. They employ one in nine Albertans. In Alberta construction affects everyone and it is a key cog in driving us forward. You can read the recommendations on our website at albertaconstruction.net Paul Heyens Edmonton (The writer is chair of the Alberta Construction Association) 8-7
That’s exactly what the NDP government is doing. As Ed Stelmach pointed out when he took office, while Klein may have paid off the $23 billion debt he inherited from Getty , he created a $42 billion infrastructure debt while doing so. We were 55 schools and thousands of hospital beds short in the province thanks to what the so-called conservatives did to us, while they gave away billions in royalties and tax breaks to their rich friends.
. The NDP has built 26 new schools, three in our area, and is building another 26 this year and has plans for a new hospital in our area. Of course it’s why they are forced to take us into a $90 billion debt while the Reform Party boys claim that Albertans should just be forced to do without.
While Brian Jean, Jason Kenney and these Reformers convince narrow-minded Albertans they must continue to suffer while they give away our oil wealth, they claim this debt is unsustainable, however the government knows that by increasing royalties back up to the Lougheed levels, like they intend to do, it can be paid off very quickly.