Jasper had something of a political celebrity in town recently. Alberta’s Minister of Finance Ted Morton spent about two hours giving a speech and mingling with Jasperites at a meet and greet at the Lobstick Lodge on July 28. In his speech, he spoke about everything from the future of the Alberta oil and natural gas sector to how much he likes fishing in the area.

Ralph Melnyk, president of the local Progressive Conservative riding association, said “It was an opportunity, in a small, intimate setting, to spend some quality time with the minister.”

He wished that more people in Jasper attended the event (there were about 20-25 people in attendance).

“I think that a lot of people here missed an opportunity,” said Councillor Melnyk.

Morton, a staunch fiscal conservative, touched off his speech on a topic he is not known for: the benefits to Alberta of operating in a fiscal deficit.

While pointing out that he plans to bring the Alberta budget “back into the black for 2012-13 (Alberta currently has a deficit of around $1.7 billion), he pointed out that if the province was going to operate in a deficit, this was a good time to do so. Due to the Albertan economic slowdown, it’s possible to do capital work (the construction of roads, buildings, infrastructure) at much cheaper costs than normal (20-30 per cent, in some cases).

“We are getting more bang for the buck,” said Morton.

As well, he pointed out the deficit is not there due to the province having to pay interest on old loans. It’s there because the province has been spending money on capital projects. If the province were to stop, then the deficit would significantly diminish.

As well, he said that the spending kept people in work at a time when unemployment was increasing in the province.

Part of the reason why Alberta still has a deficit is due to the massive increase in health care expenditures that were in the 2009-10 budget. While most other departments in the province saw cuts, Morton pointed out, Alberta Health Services got a one-time debt repayment of $759 million and a massive 17 per cent increase in its operating budget.

When asked if Alberta would be introducing the kind of large scale increase to health spending that were a massive part of the 2010-2011 budget, Morton answered emphatically; “No way.” He said that health services was locked into a five-year contract that would contain them to spending increases of between 4.5 and 6 per cent every year.

“That’s what AHS can expect,” said Morton.

Morton covered a broad range of topics with his other comments.

He promised that there would be no new taxes in the new budget.

He said that Canada Health transfers to Alberta from the federal government gave Albertans $200 less per person than the Canadian average and said that the equalization program was not working.

He questioned the fiscal sanity of many of U.S. President Barack Obama’s policies and told a joke referring to the latest invention at McDonalds restaurants: the Obama Happy Meal. It’s a wonderful creation, he explained. You order a Happy Meal and then the guy behind you in line pays for it.

Other comments and observations abounded.

Morton said he believed the Canadian university system was based on a medieval model wherein many colleges provide the same quality of education that universities do. He said students would be better off getting vouchers to spend on their post-secondary education instead of having the government fund universities directly.

The Canadian Pension Plan also took a shot, as Morton called it a system quite unfair to anyone born after 1970. He said  instead of CPP deductions from their paycheques, many people would be better served having that money in RRSPs or Tax Free Savings accounts.

Morton also took the time to ponder the future of Alberta energy. Over the long run, he expects the industry to do well, thanks to demand from the U.S.

“In the long run, the U.S.A. will buy Canadian, Albertan oil. They’re addicted to it. They have to,” he said.

He pointed out that sales of the rights to extract oil from land in Alberta have been booming recently. For 2010 alone, there have been $1 billion in land sales, a higher amount in comparison to a year ago and an indicator that oil companies are prepping for greater levels of work in the province.

“What’s good for Alberta is good for Canada. Canada needs more Alberta,” said Morton, who also said he believed that into the future, Alberta will “continue to be a very busy place.”

He also marked some worries about the future.

“As people in Jasper rightfully know, a place that caters to tourists, what happens in the rest of the world can affect Alberta,” said Morton. He said that Alberta’s future depends in part on how well the United States and Europe rebound from their recent bouts of economic trouble.

“It’s very unpredictable,” he said.

Sticking with the predictions theme, Morton also took the time to talk about the future of the Progressive Conservative Party in Alberta and how they would manage to handle the upstart Wild Rose Alliance Party.

Before taking on that topic, Morton took the time to reference Bob Dowling, the former Conservative Party representative for West-Yellowhead and one of the original P.C.s who took power from the long ruling Social Credit Party in 1971. He said that Dowling was a living representation of how politics in Alberta can be cyclical, and every generation, there seems to be a time when the people decide that they’ve had enough with the ruling party. Now could be that time. 

Problems abound with this theory however, said Morton. While he respected many of the policies of the Wild Rose Alliance, he thought they weren’t practical from an implementation standpoint.

“The last thing Alberta needs is a split vote on the right. That’s a surefire recipe for more parties from the left getting a seat in Edmonton. You split the vote and give them an opportunity,” said Morton.

When asked what the Conservative Party could do to regain its conservative bona fides with voters, Morton said that the party has a moral obligation to responsibly manage the finances of Alberta and to show voters that they are the most fiscally responsible party in the province.

“I think on that issue, we can win back voters,” he said.