PCs: Prentice plan will protect energy-sector jobs and strengthen economy

Progressive Conservative Leader Jim Prentice said today that his fiscal plan will put Alberta jobs and the economy on a stronger footing, both in the immediate and the longer term, regardless of whether the price of oil rises again to much higher levels.

“Alberta must get off the boom and bust cycle, once and for all,” Prentice said. “That means tough decisions that are not always popular – decisions that require leadership. It also means diversifying our economy, bringing investment into the province, and most of all creating good, high-paying jobs that stick for the long term, regardless of the price of a barrel of oil.”
Prentice said Alberta can create jobs and grow and diversify the economy by building on existing areas of strength. The Prentice plan includes measures aimed at:

Expanding Alberta’s market access and petrochemical capacity to become a preferred global supplier;

Expanding export infrastructure in Canada so that we can efficiently deliver products to market; and

Leveraging emerging opportunities from the Canada-EU Free Trade Agreement to further open the world’s largest market for our products and services.

“The Fort McMurray and Wood Buffalo regions showcase some of the best examples of the type of innovation Alberta is known for, and that drive our economy so successfully,” Prentice said.

“While low oil prices may take their toll, they will never hold down Albertans,” Prentice said. “Prices will bounce back and the economy will recover, but we still need a realistic plan that takes action now, as well as for the longer term. Our plan commits us to living within our means, and saving for the future. It’s a new way forward – one that will protect jobs today, and confront our challenges head-on.”