Article content continued

Albertans have disproportionately carried the weight of Confederation on their shoulders for the last several decades on almost every metric

Yet during that same period, all levels of government across the country were launching unprecedented attacks against Alberta’s industries and livelihoods while continuing to cash the Alberta-funded cheques pouring in.

The proposed Northern Gateway pipeline, which would have added hundreds of billions in economic activity to the Canadian economy over the next several decades, passed a rigorous, independent, scientific-review process. With the swipe of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s pen, Northern Gateway disappeared, and with it, the credible reputation of our regulator.

To rub it in, a crude-tanker ban was implemented on British Columbia’s northern coast. Yet at the same time, thousands of foreign oil tankers continue to travel Canadian waters off B.C.’s coast and up the Saint Lawrence River.

Then there was the biggest no-brainer of all — the proposed Energy East pipeline — which would have bound our country together and helped to put an end to our costly reliance on oil imported from foreign countries like Azerbaijan, Saudi Arabia and Venezuela. That’s 700,000 barrels per day costing Canadians $20.4 billion per year — money sent to countries with far lower environmental standards, emission standards and human rights standards.

Trudeau effectively killed Energy East by adding redundant and unnecessary new red tape and regulatory requirements on downstream emissions. Everyone was left shaking their heads. Nothing like it had ever happened before, anywhere in the world, and you can bet it has never happened to any industry based outside Alberta.