I like business. I love profit. Actually I really like making money. Lots of it.
And I think stripping post secondary of funding will hurt my ability to do so here. (There is a reason I spent July in Van where the e-commerce economy is strong. ) https://twitter.com/nickmilliken/status/1291749414441086977

Investment in post secondary drives new economies. We need to fund the schools to graduate the talent. You can’t grow a company without an ecosystem of talent and specialized skills. Retrograding curriculum and saving money to “hold the line” will not save Alberta.

We are at a crossroads. Do we want to be like Austin and Denver and cities that have balanced energy and tech? Or do we all eggs in the fossil fuel basket? The balance takes money. It takes investment. Like starting a company. But that isn’t something this leadership knows about.

If you don’t take the risk, you get nothing. The same. No progress. If you ignore data, you make the same mistakes and get the same. I don’t think govt should “make” jobs but they place a key role in laying a foundation for success. That isn’t just tax policy.

Are we seen as an attractive place to live to the job creators? Low taxes matter. But so does being able to hire the right people. We have low housing costs compared to lots of places in Canada. Good. But do new economy folks feel like they “belong” here?

Why are people flocking to Vancouver and Toronto to start their businesses? It isn’t tax policy. We know that. It isn’t cheap housing. We know that. So if these aren’t giant detractors why does the UCP think they are the only things that matter. Isn’t that counter to the data?

I have zero shame about my desire to achieve financial success and make money. And I have yet to understand how it is the UCP is helping create the conditions that will allow my businesses to thrive here. I would love it if there were. But they suck at it so far.