Lougheed was principled, used common sense

As an Alberta resident, I don’t recall a Conservative premier as good as Peter Lougheed was. Lougheed was principled and used common sense when he was leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Alberta. He knew better than to expect that oil booms would be around forever, (as he had previous work experience in the oil industry), ensured Alberta got the proper oil-royalty rates, saved money, built things up, and planned for the future.

This has not happened with any other Conservative government in Alberta that came after Lougheed was premier. Instead, oil-royalty rates were permanently changed for the worse, no money was saved, a flat-tax failure was put in, and utilities were deregulated, magnifying their costs greatly.

The results were that health care, infrastructure upkeep, seniors, students, teachers, and the vulnerable were badly neglected, and we have all paid the price for the Alberta Progressive Conservatives’ blunders.

Here we are again with the United Conservative Party. The UCP have done nothing but give big tax breaks to their rich corporate friends, and blow large amounts of money on things that have not benefited Albertans one bit.

Again, the UCP is making medical professionals, students, teachers, seniors and the vulnerable pay for their huge mistakes. The financial situation in Alberta was largely self-inflicted by decades of longterm Conservative fiscal mismanagement. Albertans certainly failed to learn their lesson, by supporting the UCP.

Dwayne Wladyka Edmonton