Hello Chestermere! Did you know that Canada has the most robust regulations, is the most environmentally conscious, and works everyday to improve the energy sector?
Did you know that since 2007, the energy industry has contributed over 200 billion dollars to the economy?
Other jurisdictions have very different and often lacklustre regulations, and yet, we are the ones that are attacked on a daily basis, and we apologize for this incredible resource that we bring up from the ground responsibly.
I speak to lots of folks that understand this, many of you work in the industry, and many of you are leading the charge to change minds and hearts with respect to Canada’s oil and gas sector. Our lives are touched everyday by petroleum products and we need to keep this conversation alive and well with our youth so that they have all the facts about the world they live in. Chemicals derived from petroleum and natural gas are essential to our way of life, and if you think oil and gas demand is growing, think about the demand for synthetic materials. These include plastics, your appliances, the makeup you wear, electronic devices, solar panels and wind turbines.
Did you know that the industry is able to capture green house gases and use them to make various plastics. Hydrocarbons such as butane, ethane and propane are used to make the building blocks of the plastics industry (think things like polyvinylchloride or polypropylene). Many products today are made almost entirely of plastics ranging from products found in grocery stores to fuel for NASA space ships. That is why Bills like the Federal “no more pipelines” Bill C-69 are so detrimental to not only our own prosperity, but to other countries that are in need of energy. Canadian Energy! As Tim Macmillan, the president of the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers, said in his vision for the future: Albertans need to vote for energy! Please read his eight page document with 16 recommendations available at https://www.voteenergy.ca/ . It suggests cutting regulatory timelines in half, and of course we need more pipelines.
Energy needs will increase by at least 25% in the next 20 years, and Alberta and Canada need to be a part of that. If you care about the environment worldwide you want Canadian energy: we are the greenest and most regulated industry on the planet. I find it shameful that our present NDP Government is finally saying that they are willing to work with the industry now, but had nothing but distaste for the industry when given the privilege of running the province in 2015. Policy matters folks, and it is nice to see CAPP putting some initiatives forward, aside from carbon pricing. We know that this is a cash grab that does nothing to help our environmental foot print or reduce pollution.
As you know, I have been chosen as the UCP Candidate in the new riding of Chestermere-Strathmore. I am working hard to earn your trust and your vote in the election expected sometime in the spring. Although I have lived here for over 41 years, Strathmore has been added to the new constituency and our local UCP Constituency Association is opening an office in Strathmore so people can get to know more about the UCP’s positive message for Alberta. Details will be posted on my Facebook page. The VoteLeela team is all-volunteer but we need to pay for literature, signs, hall rentals, etc. Here’s a way to show your support and have a great evening out. Get a head start on Valentine’s Day by coming to our “All That Political Jazz” fundraiser on February 9 at the Dockside Pub on Chestermere Lake. Bring your special someone and enjoy a delicious steak dinner with wine, a silent auction, some great conversation, and jazz standards performed by Yours Truly. I will sing for your supper! Tickets are $85 per person (you will get a $50 tax receipt). Tickets are limited and available at Eventbrite.ca (search “Leela”). Email VoteLeela@gmail.com for further information. (The fine print: authorized by the Chestermere-Strathmore UCP Constituency Association, Chestermere-Strathmore@unitedconservative.ca).
Look for me at your door in the next few weeks. I love meeting all of you and getting your input. The coming election will be historic and your voice matters.
