 |
Practically a world power when it comes to exports of natural gas, crude oil and synthetic oil. The GDP of Alberta is consistently the highest in Canada by a wide and spacious margin, and in many ways the province's rich natural resources have driven its politics as well as its economy.
When Alberta and Saskatchewan were created in 1905, the feds retained control over the resources of the new western provinces. Opposition quickly grew in Alberta where a thriving oil industry was developing. The United Farmers of Alberta, led by John Edward Brownlee, eventually gained provincial control over resources with the Alberta Natural Resources Act of 1930. Further struggles with the feds ensued with the Social Credit Party's government, led by William Aberhart. The party's attempts to gain provincial autonomy over banking were completely unsuccessful. The 1980 National Energy Program was yet another source of contention between provincial and federal powers. The program was designed to increase federal control over the oil industry. Many
Albertans felt the program was centralist, and the province lost billions when many oil companies left due to the NEP. Today regionalism continues to be strong in Alberta. The province tends to be politically conservative; the provincial Progressive Conservative party, currently headed by Premier Ed Stelmach, has been in power in Alberta since 1971. |
|
