When you think of a politician as “conservative,” you don’t typically associate them with environmental conservation.
These days, it seems like the only thing holding the Canadian conservative movement together is a belief in free markets and balanced budgets. In Alberta, that used to mean sacrificing some environmental protection for job opportunities.
So how can a proud Albertan conservative be genuinely concerned about the environment? For starters, take a peek out your window: the natural beauty of the Bow Valley is worth protecting. Also, wanting to strengthen the economy and protect nature doesn’t mean a person has conflicting ideas. Instead, both ideas come from the same set of principles.
At the heart of smart spending is our duty to hand a stronger society to our next generation than the one we were given by our parents. It’s a belief that by consuming less and investing more, our children will enjoy a better tomorrow. This conviction is also exactly why we are obligated to protect the world we live in. To ensure that future generations grow up in one of the best places on Earth, we need both a strong economy and a healthy environment.
In order for our economy to grow, we must prove to the world that Albertans care about the environment. Like it or not, the only thing holding us back is a negative public perception.
Right or wrong, our neighbours believe we are destroying nature so they continue to block our access to the world market. This why neither the Keystone nor the Northern Gateway pipeline has been built yet. As long as North Americans think Albertans don’t care about the environment, they will continue to try to slow us down. Now more than ever, our economic success depends on our environmental stewardship. The only way for us to move forward is to act ethically and insist on environmental responsibility while we develop our province.
As one of the quickest growing communities in Canada, I am convinced that Cochrane has an obligation to lead in this green-conservative movement. This fundamental belief is why I will continue vote against irresponsible spending and against destruction of natural watersheds. So when people ask how I can claim to care about the environment and still be conservative, I tell them I care about the environment because I am conservative.
