Madam Speaker, that is one of the great myths spun by the left both inside and outside Alberta. If one would actually look at the facts on diversity across the workforce, one would see that Alberta has long been the province with the third most diversified economy in the country. That is what happens when you have pro-business policies in a legal framework.
Here is my concern. First of all, I am glad the member has realized that oil and gas is a natural resource. I agree with him. Here is the fact. The energy sector is the sector that is regulated the most by all three levels of government in this country.
When these lefty Liberal politicians try to say that the issue is market conditions and business decisions, it shows they have no understanding at all about it. They do not understand that legal policy and political, fiscal and regulatory frameworks are what set the potential market conditions to attract or, in our case, drive businesses out of Canada. This is all for the United States to leave us in the dust, and for the dirtiest energy producers in the world to keep skyrocketing to meet global demand? It is ridiculous.