Alberta government looks back on 2019, has big plans for 2020

CALGARY (660 NEWS) — 2019 was an important year for the United Conservative Party, culminating with their provincial election victory in April.

But that was just the starting point, as the new government quickly went to work reversing policies from the past NDP government and trying to boost investment in the struggling energy sector.

However, by years end, especially following public battles with unionized employees such as health care workers and teachers, some poll numbers started to show the UCP was falling out of favour in the province even though they won nearly 55 per cent of the vote.

Looking back at 2019, there isn’t any regret with how things were carried out.

“It’s part of the cycle,” said Government House Leader and Minister of Environment and Parks Jason Nixon during a year-end interview with 660 NEWS. “It’s been a long time since Alberta has had a government that was willing to say no.”

With big negotiations looming between the government and public sector workers, Nixon is confident relations can be mended.

“We see nurses and teachers as our partners in the work that we do. We value them and the important role that they play within our system,” he said. “But in the end, what we are trying to do is make sure that Alberta’s taxpayer resources are going to frontline workers like teachers and nurses, and we are able to protect the services that Albertans need.”

The UCP is putting a focus on balancing the budget and getting finances in order, and while some Albertans lamented there was not an immediate recovery, Nixon seemed to indicate patience is needed.

“We have an economic situation that we’ve inherited from the previous government — that’s a fact — that puts our province in dire straits. And we are going to fulfill the promise that we made to Albertans to get our fiscal house in order.”

Moving specifically to the energy sector, Nixon also promised more focus on boosting investment in the industry and trying to return more jobs to the province in 2020 and beyond.

The main step taken towards that effort was the establishment of the Canadian Energy Centre, a government-funded but still private corporation that is tasked with combating perceived misinformation against the sector.

“The reality is that the world is still going to need energy, and Alberta has clean, environmentally friendly energy in a socially stable country,” Nixon said. “And when people say lies about it, they are going to hear from the Alberta government. We are going to make sure the truth is out there.”

Nixon added that when it comes down to quantifying success from the CEC, they would hopefully be able to see it in more dollars flowing to and coming out of the industry, and justified the $30 million price tag on the basis that the government believes it is in the public interest.

“When organizations spread lies about that industry, they are spreading it about the people that work in it,” Nixon added. “We are going to do everything that we can to be able to stand up for them and the way that they make a living.”

Another major political event in 2019 was the re-election of the federal Liberals in Ottawa.

This caused immediate outrage in Alberta, as some fringe groups felt this was a direct affront to the province, and they sparked a separation movement.

In the Legislature, it also inflamed Premier Jason Kenney’s calls for a so-called “fair deal” with Ottawa and the abolition of a pair of federal bills that he believes target Alberta’s natural resources unfairly.

“Albertans are frustrated and rightly so,” said Nixon. “When we hear the federal Liberals say stuff like phasing out our energy products, it’s ridiculous.”

This led to a trip to Ottawa for Kenney and several ministers to personally lobby Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his cabinet.

It was in addition to other trade missions embarked upon by Kenney, as he also looked to increase investment from different parts of the world like Texas and the United Kingdom.

But even though tensions seemed to run high at times between the two levels of government, there is hope it will improve in the new year.

“It’s time for the federal government to take notice that Albertans are frustrated, and we expect action,” said Nixon. “Hopefully, they listen. They have indicated that they are interested in listening, but the proof will be in the actions they take. So that’s what we’re waiting to see right now.”

Nixon promised that in 2020, they will continue to run on their same platform, including a “tireless focus” on the energy industry, and they are still working out the plans for the winter and spring sessions in the Legislature.

He said they will hopefully be able to reverse the economic track they are on and think Albertans will see a positive result.

“We’re headed in a different direction than we were before.”