As everyone knows in Canada, if you want to make a lot of money, head out to Alberta.
The cost of oil continues to increase globally due to: the worlds diminishing oil reserves, nation's natural resources being controlled by a well organised Oil Cartel consisting of BP, ExxonMobil, Chevron, and Total, (Opec wishes they had the clout that these guys have) rather then the people that live in these countries (with the exception of Venezuela), and the destabilization of oil rich regions of the world. (Iraq, Sudan, etc...)
What once was non-profitable oil sands, is now the worlds largest oil reserve.
Under the Canadian constitution provinces are entitled to 100% of the profits from all natural resources. Every time the federal government steps into to try and direct Canada's energy policy, the province of Alberta get all pissed off, and tells Ottawa to keep its hands off.
With the current boom taking place (mind you the oil boom has been taking place since the 2nd world war), one would assume everyone in Alberta would be entitled to free University, Health Care vastly superior to every other province, and an amazing social infrastructure. Sadly Alberta only fairs slightly better in education & Health Care, and social programs and spending are only on par or below the national average. The province does have some pretty impressive infrastructure, but this only consists of highways, railway and airports, primarily used for moving oil from one place to another.
There might be an increasing handful of millionaires, and some people are making some good cash working on very dangerous oil rigs, but as a society in general, the province isn't fairing much better then any other.
Where does most of the money go? Well quite clearly into the pockets of oil company CEO's and share holders. One of the most important facts that is quietly ignored in Canada is the fact that Alberta's provincial government has only changed twice since 1935. The Social Credit was in power from 35 to 71, and then the Progressive Conservatives moved in and still hold power.
If you don't think its a little fishy that Canada's most oil rich province has more or less had an autocratic government since its creation, then I ask you why the fuck don't you?
Alberta has been the centre of so called "right wing", "neo-conservative" rhetoric for a very long time. Private oil companies have been funding right wing Canadian think tanks from Alberta such as the Fraser Institute for many years. The current ruling federal "Conservative party" is essentially the creation of the Son of old Alberta premier Ernest Manning (Preston Manning created the Canadian Alliance, and Stephen Harper was his protege). The PC government under Mulroney dismantled this country's national energy program, with the aid of its provincial counterpart.
It doesn't take a political scientist to draw the ties between this parties refusal to support the Kyoto protocol, or subsidizing any form of alternative energy resource development. Anything that could have any negative effect on the profits of oil companies is completely disregarded by the party. The current subsidy of hydro-fuel cell development, and ethynol fuel subsides is only done because anyone who has done any kind of research on energy alternatives knows that these technolgies are either at least 50 years away from being effect alternatives, if ever at all.
Private oil companies have been dumping considerable amounts of money to push their agenda through the front of a "conservative" political party in Canada for many years.
This country, like our neighbor to the south, has been controlled by oil interests for far too long. They have been able to succeed by manipulating, and taking advantage of our out dated first past the post electoral system. If seats allocated to government were proportional to number of votes cast, then Canada would still have a National energy program, and you wouldn't be paying the absurd costs that you are currently paying at the pumps.
anyhow here is a clip from the cbc after the oil crisis in the 70s with Universty of Alberta prof. Larry Pratt, it's worth watchingan article by the wonderful Naomi Klein. I'll post links to some great movies on the subject in the future. Hope this has been informative.
