| Date Published | October 30, 2016 |
| Company | Plains Fabrication |
| Article Author | Stephen Mackisoc |
| Article Type | October 2016 Issue |
| Category | Articles, Oil & Gas |
| Tags | E&P, Economic Downturns, Oil & Gas: Government, S&S |
| HUB SEARCH | PlainsFabrication |
PLAINS PERSPECTIVE
Maintaining objectivity while attaching a grade to someone’s work is always a challenge. I am sure even teachers, when they have room to play, reward perpetual high achievers sometimes with a better grade than what was earned. However, we have no REAL experience with this government. Based on the performance to date of Alberta’s NDP, it will be very difficult for me to maintain some semblance of objectivity, but I will certainly try.
This card highlights the fact that, when looking in the mirror, the Destroyers (Sheila Gunn Reid’s title for Notley, the rest of the crew, and title of her book) certainly believe they ARE doing the right things. Whether it relates to carbon, education, wage controls, or killing the oil sands, I have little doubt the government THINKS they are doing the right things.
But, let’s look a little closer. First, at staffing. Sadly, the youth, inexperience, and general lack of appreciation for even the most rudimentary financial planning means they likely don’t even understand what their “leaders” are doing. That accounts for the NDP grading themselves an A+ for staffing while those of us who know the story have to grade them an F. Since being thrust into power, Notley has brought a steady stream of pipeline-hating, oil sands vilifying, Alberta-bashing left wingers in to “help” us. Brian Topp, a top staffer, is on the record all over the place as a fellow who wants to eliminate ANY reliance on fossil fuels right now! He doesn’t care if there is anything to replace the revenue stream beforehand. He wants it all gone immediately. Take a look into Graham Mitchell, the new chief of staff to our energy minister. Here is a guy who was apparently running Leadnow and is another hater of all things fossil fuel related. Apparently, Leadnow was funded by the Tides Foundation, and we all know about THAT group.
Failing fiscal controls is an absolute killer. It has driven away investment, and even now that oil and gas companies have proven they can operate successfully at $45.00 or $50.00 per barrel, that investment may never return. This government also decided to kill one of the cleanest burning coal fired power generating industries there is. They rushed into that mess without considering the results of their actions or where that power will come from. Their knee-jerk action has created lawsuits and will almost immediately raise prices to consumers, one way or another. Whether you like or hate the NDP, you can look squarely at them when you are paying more to live in what was once a great province! Rest assured though as they will find a way to dispense money to large voting demographics starting a year before the next election. They will have to borrow it and add further to what will already be an unbearable debt, but that’s what these people do. Spend, spend, spend with NO regard to where they will get that cash from.
Business intelligence is another fail in my opinion. There are plenty of intelligent, knowledgeable, and successful business leaders in Alberta. Why consult with or hire any of them when you have a massive list of cronies you can bring in from other provinces? The NDP are great at telling us what is good for us but not so accomplished at listening to what is actually required. They are continuing their longstanding efforts to land-lock Alberta’s largest money producing assets with no regard to how that massive amount of taxes will be replaced. The current advertising campaign is an obvious effort to brainwash Albertans into thinking we are the largest polluters on the planet, and the NDP are the only people who can fix that.
The above is the main reason Alberta’s government is rated so high at pandering to the feds. They have allowed us to be pilloried and attacked as killers of the environment when that is simply NOT THE CASE! The oil and gas companies in Alberta have been excellent stewards of the environment for as long as I can recall. Thermal recovery of oil sands has virtually eliminated top side scarring of the landscape. The industry has become ridiculously efficient in its use of fresh water and continues to spend huge amounts to ensure both water and air are kept clean. Why don’t we hear about the massive amount of flaring going on just South of us? Why aren’t those East Coast tankers bringing “conflict oil” into the Irving refineries a focus for environmentalists? The answer is because our government decided to stand up and yell, “We are guilty,” to the whole planet. Why wouldn’t a different country, who pollutes hundreds or thousands times more than we do, just sit back and watch? One of them has even funded various protest and aboriginal groups to keep the magnifying glass on us and away from them! We are being used by the Liberals and Ms. Notley’s love of all things Justin is blinding her to what is happening.
What we are seeing, and what the NDP is finding out, is that LEADING is a lot more challenging than sitting on the sidelines and fighting against anything the current leaders propose. The NDP has spent forever on the outer margins of politics and are completely unprepared to accept that burden of leadership. Sitting on the sidelines rather than being “in the arena” is all these people know, so failure is virtually assured now that they are quarterbacking what has been one of the best economies for Canada. Do we have things to work on? Yes. Is everything broken? No. That is where business acumen and experience could certainly help build a roadmap to success rather than a train track towards ruin.
Stephen Mackisoc
Operations Consultant
PLAINS FABRICATION
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