Article content

Jason Kenney’s pitch to Alberta’s teachers, health-care workers and civil servants? There’s nothing worse for the public service than reckless deficit spending and a mountain of government debt.

“This is my plea to people in the public sector: debt is not your friend, it’s your enemy,” Kenney said. “Debt gnaws away at public services. The first person a government has to pay every year is the bankers. It’s not negotiable. And it goes from being a little invisible marginal cost, but with the magic of compound interest and exposure to future rate hikes, it becomes a big cost driver in government. It cannibalizes the things we want most, health and education.”

We apologize, but this video has failed to load.

tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or David Staples: 'My plea to public sector: debt is not your friend, it's your enemy:' Kenney Back to video

This theme of avoiding harm through prudent government policy came up repeatedly in my lengthy interview on Monday with Kenney on the United Conservative Party’s economic platform.

Kenney’s opponents characterize him as a rigid social conservative, out to only help the rich, but the socio-economic gospel according to Kenney is a belief that individuals and families can best care for themselves and for others if government respects their choices and allows them the freedom to go about their business with little interference.