Premier appoints 10-member panel on diversification

Premier Rachel Notley has replaced the former Tory government’s Alberta Economic Development Authority with a 10-member expert panel tasked with diversifying the economy.

The committee, chaired by University of Alberta economics professor Joseph Doucet, will work without remuneration to advise the premier on diversification initiatives that identify, promote and develop economic activity, innovation and job creation outside the oilpatch.

Notley said the committee, which includes union leaders and captains of industry, will promote resilience in the provincial economy.

“The mandate is to ultimately ensure that I have the best information in front of me to make the best decisions I can to grow our economy, to diversify our economy and to create more jobs, because we know that’s what Albertans are looking for,” she told reporters at the legislature.

Notley said the committee will meet with her at least quarterly, beginning Nov. 4.

“I’ll be asking Mr. Doucet and the panel to talk to me about a range of issues ... not only about diversification, but business growth and the growth of economic activity and our ability to attract more investment here in Alberta,” she said.

Doucet, dean of the Alberta School of Business, said no jurisdiction has been as successful at diversifying the economy as it wanted to be because “it’s very, very hard to do.”

“It’s not something that gets done overnight,” he said. “It’s not something that can be done easily, but it’s a laudable goal, and something that’s very important.”

The other members of the committee are Suncor president Steve Williams, ATCO president Nancy Southern, Alberta Federation of Labour acting president Siobhan Vipond, Health Sciences Association president Elisabeth Ballermann, Maclab Enterprises chairman Marc de La Bruyere, economic consultant Hugh Mackenzie, GE Canada president Elyse Allan, BioWare co-founder Ray Muzyka and Calgary YMCA CEO Sue Tomney.

Wildrose critic Grant Hunter said he wasn’t sure why the NDP scrapped the Alberta Economic Development Authority (AEDA), which has a legislated mandate to meet with the premier.

“I think AEDA worked fairly well in the past,” he said. “If they wanted to change some board members, that could have been done.”

He expressed concern that in its exuberance to support diversifica- tion of the economy, the government may be once again drawn into funding businesses.

“In the past, some of the biggest boondoggles we’ve seen have been under the guise of economic diversification,” he said.

Progressive Conservative critic Wayne Drysdale said he was concerned about the lack of forestry and agriculture representatives on the committee.

“They mostly look like academics from downtown,” he said. “I think when we’re going to be diversifying, it won’t be downtown in the two big cities — it will be out in the ag industry or forest industry.”

He said it was another example of the NDP being an “urban-centric government.”

Liberal Leader David Swann was disappointed the committee won’t have input into the budget.

“This government has been in power for almost five months and they are just now seeking advice on how to stimulate and diversify our economy?” Swann complained in a statement.

Suncor’s Williams said he looks

Some of the biggest boondoggles we’ve seen have been under the guise of economic diversification. GRANT HUNTER, Wildrose critic

forward to working with the panel to support the government in enabling growth and diversification of the economy.

“Alberta’s economic progress depends on leveraging our strengths and fostering innovation to ensure Alberta’s economy remains competitive,” he said in a statement.

The Health Sciences Association’s Ballermann, who represents 24,000 health-care workers, said the work of the committee is important for all Albertans.

“It is a refreshing change to see this new NDP government include the voice of workers as it charts a path for the future,” she said in a statement.

The AFL noted there is a wide range of industries represented on the panel and a diversity of backgrounds. “The committee’s work on economic diversification will be essential to building a prosperous province that will be better able to weather the boom-and-bust cycle of the energy sector,” the labour organization said in a statement.