North being ignored, MP Jean tells commons

Tina Kennedy
South Peace News

Brian Jean, Athabasca MP, wants the federal and provincial government to stop ignoring northeastern Alberta and put money back into it.

Jean sent out a news release just before leaving Ottawa for his home in Fort McMurray, Feb. 11 with comments he made in the House of Commons that day.

"We the people who drive Canada's economy ask this Liberal government when are they going to take steps to invest in safe and adequate infrastructure for North Eastern Alberta?"

On the telephone a few days later, Jean is just as passionate about what sparked his questions.

One of the problems is the attitude on The Hill when it comes to Albertans.

"I take it as a 'Ah you're a redneck working in politics . . . You're 80,000 people. It doesn't matter how you vote."

Jean says his constituency is 166,000 square kilometres and populated with approximately 100,000 people. That makes it one of the largest constituencies in the country. It's also one of the most productive, he adds.

Within those boundaries, says Jean, Albertans are providing a minimum of $25 billion dollars to the federal and provincial coffers.

"That's what's immediately traceable."

It's frustrating to see the area's population grow 70 times over in 40 years and little money to accommodate the growth or development.

"This is the area that drives Canada's economy. We have a huge amount of industry in northern Alberta. We account for a huge portion of the Gross Domestic Product."

Jean estimates that his constituency, which includes the Lesser Slave Lake area, contributes approximately 20 per cent to the GDP.

Between 1997 and 2003, the GDP increased from $816.8 billion to $1,012.7 billion.

It's time for Alberta and Canada to start putting money back into the areas that provide so much of the industry and product that contributes so heavily to the coffers.

"It's bothering me because we're paying $16 to $25 billion a year to federal and provincial governments and they are not coming up to the challenge and putting back any money."

They're more than willing to take resources out, adds Jean. Now it's time to put money back.

Northern communities suffer from doctor shortages, teacher shortages, and trades worker shortages. Yet nothing is done at the federal level to approach those problems.

On the provincial front, there's some effort but nowhere near enough, says Jean.

"If they're going to have their finger in it, they better take a step into it, and put their whole foot in it, and their wallets too."

Much of this is exactly why he got into politics. Northern Albertans are not getting anything back, but they keep supplying everyone with what they need. It's time to fight for it, says Jean. He's prepared to do just that.

"I'm fed up with being ignored . . . I really don't figure the federal government is stepping up to the plate."