MLA Report: Investments, not corporate welfare

By Medicine Hat News Opinon on September 22, 2017.

I don’t believe a $23 million infrastructure investment split between the federal and provincial governments to help facilitate the building of a $360-million potato-processing facility is, “corporate welfare.”

What I do believe is such an investment such as that made to develop the Cavendish Farms facility is just that — an investment.

An investment that will pay dividends across southeastern Alberta as potato growers from Brooks to Medicine Hat to Bow Island and farms under irrigation across the southern part of the province gain another customer.

I also don’t believe the billions of dollars spent by both the federal and provincial governments over decades to develop the technology to extract bitumen from the Athabasca oilsands should be considered “corporate welfare.”

This was an investment that continues to greatly benefit our province.

I believe in developing the energy sector in southeastern Alberta and encouraging the billions of dollars in projects currently registered with regulators.

There is nearly 3,000 MW of generation capacity for wind and solar projects listed with the Alberta Electric System Operator (AESO) within the counties of Cypress, 40 Mile and Newell representing thousands of jobs and billions of dollars in economic development.

And we don’t need to worry about how to get that energy product to market because the transmission system is already built.

While some will call this just another example of “corporate welfare,” I believe this government’s support for this type of energy sector development is an investment — an investment which will pay dividends to Medicine Hat and communities across southeastern Alberta which will make our region Energy Central.

Just this week, we are seeing a continuation of the Southeast Alberta Energy Diversification Symposium at the Medicine Hat College which is bringing together area stakeholders to explore development of the plentiful wind and solar resources in our region.

But there are those who are advocating to stop this government from encouraging developments that will benefit our growers and promote policies that will see us become energy independent rather than be dependent on foreigners for our energy needs.

I am not one of those people.

Nor do I believe the future of Medicine Hat is as dire as those who continue to deride our community by misrepresenting our employment situation.

There are 7,000 more Hatters working this past August than two years ago. The unemployment rate as well as the actual numbers of those unemployed is lower now than two years ago and the percentage of Hatters looking for work is higher, according to Statistics Canada.

The employment trend is positive for Medicine Hat and those who state otherwise are only serving to detract development of the strong labour force that our city and region will need in the coming years.

I believe governments are necessary to serve those who elect them and work to improve the lives of their constituents at the individual, public service as well as corporate levels.

I make no apologies for that belief.

Bob Wanner is the MLA (NDP) for Medicine Hat constituency.

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