I Am Eeyore’s Dark Cloud

And I come as the harbinger of Danielle Smith’s failures

With the Legislative session done until October, I am spending much more time in my communities (yay!). When there’s no events or meetings, I head out to knock on people’s doors (because the best engagement happens where people are). Lately, I’ve been feeling like I’m bringing doom and gloom. There may be a spring in my step, because it’s spring and I love being outside, but once the door opens…I am Eeyore’s dark cloud.

To cut myself some slack, there are a lot of things that Smith’s government is doing that are not in the best interests of Albertans. Is killing our renewable energy sector good for Albertans? I would argue not. Alberta has always been an energy powerhouse and there is no good reason for a government to prevent Alberta from continuing to be so.

Last year was the first time where the number of renewable energy projects in the queue shrunk. A seven-month moratorium on new projects and increasingly high regulatory burdens will do that to an industry. The hypocrisy is so thick with this government it’s hard to NOT talk about it. Whatever your opinion may be on the regulatory framework for energy sectors, surely you would agree that it should be consistent. How can a Premier rail against regulations for one energy sector while increasing regulations for another?

Well, if I was at your door and we got going on this topic I would argue that it’s because Smith’s government isn’t good at governing. They want protections and reduced regulations for the oil and gas industry (which, I can’t help but point out has done nothing but shed jobs for the last decade). Then they turn around and do everything they can to slow the roll of renewable energy (an industry that was furiously adding jobs). Why? Because for them it’s about politics, not people.

When asked about education, I go full dark cloud mode. The choice to fund education at the lowest level per student in the country has paved a straight line to wildly overcrowded classrooms and insufficient supports for complex learners. Also, school fees? Bananas. I paid $2,000 in fees this year for my kids’ “free” public education. Do you know a lot of middle-class families who have an extra $2000 kicking around right now?

In some ways, I think the dark cloud is part and parcel of being an opposition MLA. My job is to oppose, to challenge, to bring awareness about what this government is doing. I’ve listened to the Education Minister try to sell overcrowded classrooms as the Alberta Advantage, as a sign of how well we are doing. I’m not willing to let that narrative stand alone.

I don’t want to be a gloomy Eeyore at your door, and I realized this week that we are at the midway point of our term. It’s time to start talking about how better is possible. Conservative supporters often say to me “well, I guess it could be worse” and sure, it could be. But it could also be better. So, let’s start having those conversations. We can still have our little rant about Smith’s misplaced priorities, but let’s start talking about what better means for you.