By Sam Borsato - @BorsatoSam on Twitter

Pat Stier plans to monitor government changes for sake of all Albertans in New Year

Dec 27, 2016 | 6:14 AM

LIVINGSTONE/MACLEOD – It was a highly controversial session through 2016 for the Livingstone-Macleod MLA.
 
Pat Stier, a Wildrose Party member, says he was kept on his toes, joining in on difficult conversations about human services and jobs while also fighting back against the NDP government’s new carbon levy.
 
“The government brought in 18 new bills this session. We were busy with the electrical amendment act primarily and the renewable electricity act, beyond the constant bickering over the carbon tax,” he noted in a year-end interview with Lethbridge News Now.
 
“The basic problem is that this government has decided that a primary concern is trying to fight overall global warming. While that may be a great endeavour, there’s a different approach we are promoting that is trying to look at how we can mitigate the impacts of that and at the same time trying to grow our economy.”
 
Stier says he’s already heard tales from a few companies starting to implement fuel charges to transport goods and services in fear of the January 1, 2017 carbon levy effective date, and from other citizens worried about potentially rising living costs. He’s alongside a number of Wildrose members in the belief that it’s not the appropriate time to launch such a program.
 
Stier also recently launched a private members bill for the protection of property rights across the province, which he’ll be following up with once the legislature is back in session.
 
While he will be taking some time off to enjoy the holiday season with family and friends, Stier says plans are already in the works to stay on top of the provincial government in 2017 for the sake of all Albertans.
 
“In the spring, we’re going to be strategizing on how we can be more effective in trying to oppose some of these changes. We’re monitoring every day what’s going on with the changes that are coming up,” he went on to explain. “We’re going to be trying to focus our objections to the government, and hopefully get them for once to listen and perhaps change some of the things they intend to do to make it less impactive.”
 
Stier wanted to reassure his Livingstone-Macleod constituents at this time that the Wildrose only continues to grow.
 
“We’re still a relatively new party. We’ve only been in existence since 2009, but we’re certainly welcoming all Conservatives from all sides… The latest polls are very interesting. It shows in southern Alberta, for example, leading currently around 41-per cent. We’re looking forward to building our party more and more as time goe