In a rare moment of restraint, Alberta leaders responded to the federal budget with what economists are calling “measured grumbling” and “mildly hopeful swearing.” The budget’s vague nods to energy transition funding and “sustainable resource development” have prompted cautious optimism, mostly because no one is quite sure what any of it means.
Premier Danielle Smith reportedly asked Ottawa for clarification on whether “energy transition” includes pipelines made of recycled materials. Meanwhile, oil executives expressed interest in new tax credits for “green innovation,” provided it can be achieved by painting pumpjacks teal.
Residents of Calgary say they’re bracing for more economic “stability,” a term they’ve learned to interpret as “six more months of guessing.” Economists agree the province’s optimism is fragile, but note that in Alberta, cautious optimism beats the usual “drunken fatalism.”
As one rancher put it: “At least they didn’t say we’re shutting down the oil sands. Yet.”
