Dreeshen: Market access a major economic issue going into 2019

Alberta’s economy is experiencing a strange problem. We have a strong workforce that is producing high quality products, with customers waiting to buy these products. However, our people can’t get these products to the buyers who want them.  This is because of political failure, both provincially and federally.

Pipelines can’t get built, much of our oil can’t get to market, and when it does, we get paid a fraction of its actual value. Many farmers can’t find room for their grain on clogged rail lines, and important markets like India have shut their doors to our agricultural products due to political and regulatory fights.

These problems have dragged on for years, costing jobs and shutting down businesses. And despite the rhetoric from the Notley and Trudeau governments – and a carbon tax that was supposed to be a quick fix – solutions seem as distant as ever.

The United Conservative Party will not just pay lip service to these problem. We aren’t just opposing Rachel Notley’s rhetoric and her carbon tax. We are working hard to replace the NDP’s disastrous ideological policies with a better alternative that has forward looking policies and practical solutions.

As the UCP’s trade critic, I spent this summer meeting with Alberta businesses to hear what they need from their government, so they can create new jobs and get our economy back on track.

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I traveled to Washington, D.C. and with UCP Leader Jason Kenney to India, to make connections with government officials and business leaders, so we can hit the ground running in 2019 to deliver market access for our oil and agricultural producers.

We have begun to build a national coalition that will get our pipelines built and get rid of Justin Trudeau’s carbon tax. Our work with the governments of Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Ontario in lobbying against federal taxes, and regulations that are anti-pipeline and anti-business are starting to make gains.

These are all things the Notley government could have been doing over the last four years, but they did not. Instead, the NDP choose to make an alliance with Trudeau and support his misguided policies. This NDP-Trudeau alliance failed Albertans.

The past four years have been very difficult for Alberta businesses and Alberta workers.  Albertans are resilient and we will put these economic bad times behind us. The UCP will move forward with improving economic conditions that allow Alberta to grow and prosper.

Devin Dreeshen

UCP Trade Critic

MLA for Innisfail – Sylvan Lake

EDITOR’S NOTE: The views expressed in this column do not necessarily represent those of rdnewsNOW or the Jim Pattison Broadcast Group. Column suggestions and letters to the editor can be sent to news@rdnewsNOW.com