Political scientist says premier’s choice of words could have been better
Posted Sep 21, 2015 11:15 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Some are attacking Alberta’s premier over recent remarks.
Over the weekend, while responding to a question about the province’s royalty review, Rachel Notley suggested people need to settle down a bit.
Those comments have upset the opposition critics and others in the oil and gas industry that have recently lost their jobs.
Notley’s comments to the Calgary Sun came while she was trying to explain that under former Premier Peter Lougheed’s regime, royalty rates were examined every 18 months.
Mount Royal Political Scientist Lori Williams says Notley should have said people need to take wait and see attitude towards the review, instead of urging people to settle down.
Williams says because of ongoing economic uncertainty, Albertans are looking for assurances things will be okay.
“Something that they can plan around and that’s understandable, because it’s best to make sure that the information is accurate and the plan is solid before going forward,” she said.
The first budget under the NDP government will be tabled next month.
As for the royalty review, it will wrap up by year’s end but the earliest rates could be tweaked is 2017.
