Your letters: Costs of separation left out of argument
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The separatists would have you believe that Alberta would prosper as an independent country with a doubling of oil production within five years. That's a pipe dream for a landlocked country that wouldn't be able to get its product to market. Canada would have no incentive to help a renegade country do that.
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As for the federal taxes that would disappear, it's noteworthy that separatists fail to mention that everything these taxes pay for — such as universal medicare, Old Age Security, our military, infrastructure support, etc. — would also disappear. But then, the individuals fronting this group appear well enough off financially that real-life concerns of the average person don't affect them.
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Gender-based violence is initially learned at home. It can only be overcome, or condoned, at home by parents who rear children to either normalize or abhor it. To think that a government strategy can overcome it is folly.
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Is this another attempt to distract citizens for the next 10 years from other larger issues?
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I would wager it is.
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There are a couple of reasons to be optimistic about the future of Canada's economy.
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First, Tim Hodgson is a very good choice for natural resources minister. Having been a board member of MEG Energy, which later became one of the founding members of the Pathways Alliance, he understands the oil and gas industry. He also understands that global warming is a world problem and that limiting the production of oil and gas in Canada will not affect emissions worldwide. It is consumers who determine how much can be sold.
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Second, Prime Minister Mark Carney has extensive experience in finance and business investments. He understands that the best way to improve the economy is to create a business climate that makes investments profitable. This works better than either excessive regulation or excessive subsidies.
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There is hope. I am glad both Carney and Hodgson have a great deal of experience in the private sector.
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