Opinion: Let’s simply transition to frequent sense

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As Alberta heads for election day, these of us working within the useful resource trade have one factor on our minds: how will the longer term authorities method the pure useful resource and power sectors, and the way do they plan on supporting and selling our oil and fuel trade?

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Many individuals, together with myself, consider that we have to additional promote Alberta’s pure assets whereas increasing our world market share. Others consider Canada and the remainder of the world can rapidly and simply transition away from oil and fuel in alternate for “greener” power choices.

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Those who fall into the “simply transition” camp don’t appear to publicly acknowledge that each one power creation strategies have environmental results. Right now, many “greener” choices additionally pose reliability challenges. Till extra renewable strategies can bridge these confirmed shortcomings, oil and fuel assets will proceed to be wanted and broadly used.

For the useful resource and power sectors, poorly thought-out authorities actions not solely have an effect on the main producers and their clients but additionally stifle the hundreds of third-party, service suppliers and small companies that hold the large power machine transferring ahead. These on-the-ground firms, like my very own, present varied supply and logistics providers, reminiscent of heavy hauling, mobile-crane and lifting work, street and infrastructure development, and upkeep and expert commerce providers, to call just a few.

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Over the 40 years that I’ve been in enterprise, I’ve had the pleasure of attending to know our useful resource trade first-hand.

This trade is as blue-collar because it will get, with tens of hundreds of expert women and men working lengthy hours in troublesome and distant circumstances, typically away from their households, to extract the important power and mineral merchandise that hold us protected, our lights on, our properties heat and permit us to start out our automobiles in -40 C climate. These staff make private sacrifices, every single day, which allow all of us, in all provinces and territories, to stay life.

Alberta is aware of the injury that may be achieved to its financial system and to its individuals when a authorities and its forms succumb to federal stress and implement anti-energy insurance policies. Insurance policies like these suppress the laborious work and high-level initiative proven by Alberta staff that make this province nice.

So, I suggest that we “simply transition” to “frequent sense.” If we have been to hearken to its infinite knowledge, what wouldn’t it should say?

To begin, frequent sense would inform you that the demand for the cleanest oil and pure fuel is rising by the day, throughout the globe, as abroad markets and nations proceed to develop.

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It will inform you that if Canada doesn’t promote Alberta assets, OPEC and BRIC member nations are standing on the prepared to choose up any slack left within the world provide chain.

It will inform you that Alberta producers and third-party service suppliers are already dedicated to utilizing and innovating cleaner options for extracting, processing and delivering our pure assets.

It will inform you that Alberta and, extra broadly, Canada could be silly to step again from the worldwide power markets when we have now plentiful uncooked supplies, world-leading trade experience and the seasoned, expert labour drive that proceed to set larger requirements of operational efficiency and environmental stewardship throughout the useful resource and power sectors.

Lastly, it will additionally say that we might get a heck of much more achieved with much less bureaucratic purple tape, and extra collaboration from our federal and provincial governments.

No authorities is ideal, however a authorities that doesn’t wholly help and rigorously struggle for Alberta’s power sector shouldn’t be accepted by Albertans. Within the wilderness of Canada’s Confederation, Alberta will want a powerful provincial authorities with a pacesetter who doesn’t cower to the federal agenda.

An agenda that continues to prioritize and tackle the needs of Japanese Canada over the wants of Alberta and the West.

Scott LaPrairie is president and CEO of LaPrairie Group of Firms.