The Editor,
The 2017 federal budget reduced subsidies to the fossil fuel industry. While this is definitely a move in the right direction, the budget still allocates hundreds of millions to the oil and gas industry.
Canada is fortunate to have many sources of renewable power but it lags behind Europe in terms of research, incentive programs, available technology and policies.
My son, a recently graduated Canadian engineer specializing in renewable energy, was forced to move to Europe to find post-graduate research program and meaningful employment in his field.
The federal budget should reflect the need to address these deficiencies. To meet the emission targets, we need to build a clean economy that will create long-term jobs throughout the country, improve human health and reduce boom-and-bust cycles in the energy sector.
I observed Alberta’s economy for more than a decade and always lamented that this province has not been able to use the money available in the prosperous periods to reduce its dependency on oil prices and become a clean energy giant by funding research and developing wind and solar power industry.
I wish the federal Liberal government’s 2017 budget better reflected the needs of the modern era Canada has already entered.
Tomasz Gradowski, Coquitlam
