It turns out lowering taxes is really important

In a recent Twitter exchange with writer and activist Michael Morrison about the debate around the LGBTQ guidelines for Alberta’s schools that the province is rolling out Wildrose Party finance critic Derek Fildebrandt tweeted out:

@mikesbloggity Important issues, but in all honesty, social issues just didnt rank in the top 100 reasons I ran. I find these debates stale. — Derek Fildebrandt (@Dfildebrandt) March 2, 2016

A US study of adolescents in grades 7–12 found that lesbian, gay, and bisexual youth were more than twice as likely to have attempted suicide as their heterosexual peers. Another study that looked at transgender youth found that about 25 per cent reported suicide attempts.

Derek Fildebrandt can choose to run to be a politician for any reason he likes, but like it or not the provincial government is responsible for more than just producing a budget every year. There is research that shows that gay straight alliances in school reduce suicide risk not just for LGBTQ youth but for all students. The provincial LGBTQ guidelines around this issue will save lives. If that's "stale" and not worth Fildebrandt's time then here is our completely imagined list of the 63 things Derek Fildebrandt cares more about than at risk LGBTQ youth. We encourage you to fill in the rest using the hashtag #reasonsderekran.

63. Tipping six per cent.

62. Lowering taxes.

61. Whether he’s going to wear a three-piece suit or a two-piece suit today.

60. Lowering taxes.

59. Having breakfast at the Palliser Fairmont with Preston Manning.

58. Only taking questions from non-political journalists.

57. The “Economy”.

56. How to add $3.00 to $49.30.

55. Whether he left the stove on.

54. Avoiding questions from Carrie Tait.

53. Figuring out who is an A-list, B-list and C-list journalist.

52. Berating bureaucrats for not stopping the Sky Palace from being built.

51. Having unite-the-right beers with PC MLA Mike Ellis.

50. Checking his phone.

49. Lowering taxes.

48. Working on his shadow budget.

47. Calling into Danielle Smith’s radio show under a fake name and debating the finer points of tax policy.

46. Slowly having everything good about you sucked out by Vitor Marciano.

45. Hot laundry fresh out of the dryer.

44. Scheduling his remedial math lessons.

43. Thinking he’s got a serious scoop with his FOIP requests.

42. Working on his shadow budget.

41. Lowering taxes.

40. Watching old Ronald Reagan speeches on Youtube.

39. Listening to the new Black Eyed Peas album.

38. Trying to get a coffee meeting with Stephen Harper.

37. Really hoping that Brian Jean runs for the leadership of the Conservative Party of Canada.

36. The “Economy”.

35. Listening to Metallica.

34. Duping voters by implementing campaign promises.

33. Working on his shadow budget.

32. Getting the Alberta government down to the size where he can drag it off and drown it in the bathtub.

31. Reading Stephen Harper’s book on the history of hockey.

30. Making memes featuring himself.

29. Lowering taxes.

28. Really, truly believing in trickle down economics.

27. Working on his shadow budget.

26. Holding up pieces of paper and looking very serious for a Calgary Sun news photographer.

25. Not understanding how equalization works.

24. Really not understanding how equalization works.

23. Figuring out if they’re just friends or if he’s really dating the PC party.

22. Lowering taxes.

21. Posing with Canadian flags.

20. Making naughty or nice lists.

19. Watching old Ronald Reagan speeches on Youtube.

18. Uniting the right.

17. Dividing the left.

16. Making faces at the centre.

15. Watching old Barry Goldwater speeches on Youtube.

14. Yelling at Quebec about equalization payments.

13. Googling stuff.

12. Standing with Brian Jean, even when he’s sitting.

11. Wishing Brad Wall would also run for leader of the Conservatives.

10. Getting his picture taken with David Frum at a Fraser Institute event in Montreal.

9. Tying his own ties.

8. Googling jokes about socialism.

7. Hanging with real journalists, like Sheila Gunn Reid.

6. Taking awkwardly staged photographs with the Calgary Sun to illustrate a story about gas taxes.

5. Working on his shadow budget.

4. Building a super duper, extra awesome debt clock to tow behind his truck at all times.

3. Staring wistfully at a picture of Brad Wall.

2. Building a campaign platform that will never be implemented if he ever forms government.

1. Lowering taxes.