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It gets lonely here in Calgary, as companies sell out of the oilsands and try to sublet their echoing downtown office space.

People do tend to feel that way when they realize that the nation at large, or at least the leadership, doesn’t seem to care, and is even actively working against the province’s economy.

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It’s the way you feel, in short, when your main job-producing industry has already been declared dead.

That is the very clear federal goal, despite the pipeline approvals and all the talk about oil and gas being around for a while.

If those policies persist, we have to push mightily for help in remaking the economy.

The Notley New Democrats are at least trying to do this, while desperately hoping their trust in Ottawa does not lead to tears.

But, so far, they’ve been hung out to dry by Ottawa. The Liberals are not trying to diversify the economy their policies will kill.

Kent Hehr disagrees. The Calgary MP and minister points to a $75-million federal investment for the University of Calgary to develop low carbon technology for oil and gas.