He has pledged to not introduce a national or any form of carbon tax in Saskatchewan. He says it will be introduced perhaps when, and only when, their economy picks up and the tax won’t cost more jobs. Premier Wall was quoted as saying, “We will fight any effort from the federal government to make that situation worse, for either those families or other families who depend on a federal government that might understand the situation here. Let’s focus on the real problem, and let us not go down the road with an ill-considered and reckless carbon tax that will cost the jobs of Canadians without any relief in sight.”

It’s hard not to look at Brad Wall as an unwavering mentor for the oil & gas sector and for the people across the country that feel they are being pushed, unknowingly for the most part, into energy poverty. How can you not rally behind a leader like Brad Wall who is prepared to put the people of his province ahead of ideological grandstanding on the provincial, national and world stages. Following Brad Wall on social media is nothing but inspiring! Not just because he is fighting the lonely carbon tax battle for us all, but because he is standing up against the total lack of common sense that has invaded the politically correct crowd here in Canada.

We all have or have had mentors in our lives, who have contributed to our success in business and our own personal wellbeing. For me, my mentor was my high school football coach, John Siddle. He taught and guided me not just on the playing field, but in all facets of my life. He showed me how to rise above injury, and through dedication and hard work, to achieve the goals you set for yourself in sports and life, despite whatever obstacles and hurdles the world throws at us. While we haven’t seen each other for years, we still exchange Christmas cards and his sage advice and determination is instilled into everything that I do.

We all can take a page out of John’s and Brad’s, or your own mentor’s playbook, and summon whatever energy and fortitude we can muster, to do whatever it takes, to find a better way than hidden and punitive taxes to address greenhouse gas emissions and climate change. Mentors inspire people onward to greatness, and it’s in and through this greatness where we ultimately find solutions to problems that were once deemed to be unsolvable. As an Albertan we can only look over to our mentor Brad Wall in Saskatchewan who refuses to siphon billions of dollars from their economy and his taxpayers solely to score ideological and political gains at the cost of current and future prosperity. As a fellow Canadian, get informed and become inspired by Premier Wall’s leadership. We can all do our part by speaking up and supporting his efforts and that is exactly what we are doing in the following pages of this month’s issue of Oilfield PULSE. Let’s become an economic powerhouse through attracting foreign investment and technological innovation, not through taxation and a vailed wealth transfer.

Remember ……… when ideology trumps science and common sense, you get stupidity and paranoia!