I don't believe that the economy has changed people's thinking politically in Alberta. However, obviously we elected a brand new government for the first time, some people say, in 44 years. It's actually the first time in over 70 years, because the previous government, prior to the PCs, was really just PCs with a different name. And I think what that did, it doesn't suddenly mean that Tom Mulcair is going to win a whack of seats here in Alberta, but I think it did open Albertans' eyes to the fact that, you know, something different is possible and we can do something different.
Naheed NenshiYou know, even in the economic downturn in Alberta, there are restaurants in Calgary, and even in Canmore up the mountain, that cannot open for lunch because they cannot find staff. And they cannot find staff because there's nowhere for those people to live. And so safe and decent housing, market housing, subsidized housing, the whole bit, we really, really need to have our heads on straight on this, and we don't yet.
Naheed NenshiAll three of the leaders looked like they were surprised to be asked about housing. And really none of them had anything interesting to say. And so this is something we need to push hard on to ensure that they understand that our housing crisis is really a major economic issue. It's not a social issue; it's an economic issue.
Naheed NenshiI don't believe that the economy has changed people's thinking politically in Alberta. However, obviously we elected a brand new government for the first time, some people say, in 44 years. It's actually the first time in over 70 years, because the previous government, prior to the PCs, was really just PCs with a different name. And I think what that did, it doesn't suddenly mean that Tom Mulcair is going to win a whack of seats here in Alberta, but I think it did open Albertans' eyes to the fact that, you know, something different is possible and we can do something different.
Naheed NenshiWe still need to hear more about things like water and wastewater infrastructure and community infrastructure, like local rinks and libraries. But at least we're much further on that debate than we were in the last federal election.
Naheed NenshiYou know, the key issue is that city issues are not to be put in a box and say well, that's what the mayor wants. They're Canadian issues. Cities account for 75 percent of our GDP. If you don't have a plan for cities, it means you don't have a plan for the economy.
Naheed NenshiI'm not shy about stating my opinion on political issues, so I can state my opinion, which is, on this one, Premier Notley's right. Because cap and trade systems have not been shown to work. And if you want to price carbon, then I would listen to the CEO of Suncor, who suggests a clean, transparent carbon tax makes a bunch more sense than a cap and trade system that just creates jobs for traders. I - I kind of agree with that.
Naheed Nenshi