Alberta Premier Danielle Smith once again declared the province “the economic engine of Canada” this week, revving up her usual rhetoric about oil-fueled prosperity and fiscal dominance. But when the public sector knocked on the hood looking for raises, the premier suddenly remembered the tank was empty.
Teachers, nurses, and other workers. who apparently keep that engine from seizing, were told the government couldn’t possibly afford wage increases without plunging Alberta into ruin. Smith, however, continues to tout balanced budgets, brag about surpluses, and cut ribbons on multi-million-dollar projects.
“It’s like she’s driving a Ferrari, but insists we can only afford bus fare,” one union leader said.
Critics call the contradiction “gaslighting,” though Smith’s defenders prefer to call it “good fiscal management.” Either way, Alberta’s workers are left wondering how long they’re supposed to keep this economic engine humming while the driver insists there’s no fuel money for them.
