Klein tells Americans degregulation is great!

Today, Monday July 17, 2006 at the Westin Hotel in Edmonton our favorite guy Mr. Ralph Klein addressed an audience of mostly American mover and shakers. He told them we are second in the world as far as oil supply is concerned. He didn’t tell them we do not have sufficient water to exploit the production.

He also told them (Mr. Dinning’s) deregulation plan is working find.

Obviously his view of success is that all the Alberta taxpayer equities have been sold to US companies at a value of 1 cent on a dollar. Also, because these companies can charge Albertan’s anything they want basically, they, the companies, are allowed to tuck away over 50 million dollars a year in profits. Yet, we must pay the highest rates in the country and, pay for the power lines to export power.

Look at the game:

Oil companies draw off our resource at the lowest rates in the world.

To get this oil out of the ground, they need multi billion dollars worth of extraction equipment and plants.

To do this, they are prepared to pay the highest wages in North America, probably in the world.

This money is not paid out of their profits; no! This money is paid out of our cut of the very shallow royalties!

This “great economy” is pushing up wages and the cost of goods and services in this province. We are paying 20% more for bread, labor and mechanics etc. than they are in other parts of the country.

A double hit. First, rob us of our royalty then, charge us double for the results.

I have to believe it is planned that the high utility bills would close down industry in this province leaving a labor force available for the Tar Sands.

If any of you out there are thinking Dinning as a premier keep in mind he has no plans at all other than becoming Premier and enforcing the oil companies will.

Along side of him even Klein looks better!

John Clark
cyberclark@shaw.ca