Albertans are left wanting for solutions because the info proceed to pile up on two pricey boondoggles — one far more pricey than the opposite, however each troubling, nonetheless
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Good intentions are actually preferable to dangerous ones, however they’re hardly a licence for making poor coverage selections or justifying them after the actual fact. There’s an outdated saying about good intentions that captures this level effectively.
Albertans are left wanting for solutions because the info proceed to pile up on two pricey boondoggles — one far more pricey than the opposite, however each troubling, nonetheless. The frequent thread between the 2 appears to be that we’re anticipated to only shrug off these fiascos as a result of the federal government (or governments, because the case could also be) meant effectively. That merely doesn’t lower it.
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The less expensive of the 2 entails the choice in late 2022 to acquire huge portions of kids’s ache treatment. On the time, we had been coping with each a spike in sickness and a nationwide scarcity of kids’s ibuprofen and acetaminophen.
Whether or not it was to embarrass the federal authorities or just to journey to the rescue, Alberta determined to unravel the issue by itself. Preparations had been made to acquire 5 million bottles of ache meds from Turkey. However issues went terribly unsuitable.
After one way or the other spending greater than $75 million, we ended up with lower than one-third of the 5 million bottles. Of that, solely 15,000 went to hospitals and pharmacies. On prime of that, the unique shortages had been resolved by the point this treatment arrived.
Now it’s been revealed that there have been well being considerations about utilizing these meds in neonatal settings on account of a threat that they might clog feeding tubes. That raises questions on our remaining inventory, which will definitely by no means be bought to different provinces and probably by no means used in any respect.
“Properly, we tried,” appears to be the federal government’s reply to this, however we deserve solutions. It’s not simply accounting for the waste of taxpayer {dollars}, but in addition the necessity to ensure this by no means occurs once more.
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Those self same rules apply on the subject of the necessity for solutions on the multibillion-dollar boondoggle that’s the Sturgeon Refinery. Whereas the ache meds fiasco lies on the ft of the present premier and her authorities, it is a mess she inherited.
Final week, we discovered that the premier was hopeful that we would be capable of unload our stake within the troubled venture. It’s a pleasant thought, even when it’s extremely unlikely to occur.
This venture was born greater than a decade in the past within the fever of a “cease exporting jobs” and “let’s refine extra product right here” political craze. Whereas it was a PC authorities that set us down this path, the zeal for this venture crossed social gathering strains. The NDP authorities even toyed with the thought of incentivizing an entire different refinery.
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The price of the venture finally ballooned to greater than $10 billion, and the Alberta authorities offered billions extra in ensures to ensure the refinery can be worthwhile. Three years in the past, in an try to stem the monetary bleeding for taxpayers, the province took on a 50-per-cent fairness stake within the refinery.
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Whereas the refinery is certainly working, producing product and using Albertans, that doesn’t clarify or justify the trail we took to get there. As College of Alberta power economist Andrew Leach notes, “Alberta misplaced tens of billions on a foul guess and dangerous contracts and dangerous political selections. We need to know who, why and at whose route.”
College of Calgary power economist Blake Shaffer additionally highlights an essential purpose we have to examine this mess.
“This horrible deal ought to be a cautionary story for a authorities musing about taking possession stakes in new electrical energy technology,” he stated.
No matter benevolent motivations spurred these coverage selections is moot within the face of how badly issues went unsuitable.
Whether or not it’s some kind or investigation of an precise inquiry, we want solutions.
“Afternoons with Rob Breakenridge” airs weekdays from 12:30 to three p.m. on QR Calgary
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