Olympics, Worthy Opponents, Fair Play

The Olympics and Paralympics have the ideas of worthy opponents and fair play front-of-mind for me just now.

Okay, remember the fallout from the royalty review and subsequent royalty regime change in 2008?

The Alberta PC's seemingly were not deemed worthy opponents by the petroleum producers. They like nothing more than fair play and that means having a worthy opponent.

The industry wants to buy access to Albertan's reserves of petroleum - oil and gas. In fact, it needs that access so it has some product to sell and a business case that attracts other people's money as investment.

Premier Ed and Co. came along and changed the royalties. The petroleum producers questioned the change and began bargaining by saying the royalties were unfair and would kill the industry in Alberta. Many began to move to other, friendlier jurisdictions. The Alberta PC's were quickly seen to be crumbling from within as many PC supporters and even some elected government members decided to abandon the party and the new royalty regime.

(Mind you, at least one leading Alberta-based producer with nearly all of its production inside Alberta's borders reported that its analysis showed the new royalty regime would have no impact on its business, either negative or positive. But I digress. Sorry for that. Back to the case at hand.)

Capitulation! Surely not!

But, it seemed so. Then the Wild Rose Alliance Party sprang up led by people with a reputation for being hard-nosed as business people need to be. Two elected capitulaters moved from the PC fold to the WRAP fold.

The industry seemed to ask, "Hey! Can these people form a worthy opponent?" They began to direct petro-dollars to their cause.

Now! perhaps the petroleum industry had found a group that could be nurtured to be a worthy opponent in the tradition of St. Peter Lougheed. (Not really an official Catholic saint, but a pretty heroic figure in Alberta nonetheless fighting PET as leader of the Evil Freezing-In-The-Dark East! Although, St. Peter did form a Crown petro-corporation in Alberta Energy that was meant to compete with the federal Petro-Canada and only incidentally compete with local and foreign owned producers, but that couldn't be helped.)

The growth of the Wild Rose Alliance seems to have stalled while there is no great return of support to the Alberta PC's. Now what?

What can the Liberals do to convince the petroleum industry that Liberals can be worthy opponents? The Liberals need to convince the petroleum industry that they, the Liberals, will be Tough! Tough! Tough! in acting as agent for the owners of the resources, the people of Alberta.

Tough policies are therefore in order.

How about "No Royalties!" ?

How about "No Lineups for Petroleum Employees Seeking Necessary Health Services where necessity is determined by petro-employee demand!"?

Or, should that ready access to health care be only, "No waiting for Petro-Investors and Executives!" while the employees have to get in line with their Alberta neighbours?

How tough can Liberals be! Come-on folks! Think Tough!

This is the Liberals' best opportunity since the battle of Alberta Mayors - Ralph and Laurence!
Mike