Listen to Voters

Recently, a theme has been emerging in my conversations with people in Sherwood Park. Voters are telling me they're frustrated with a provincial government that does things it never campaigned on and too often fails to listen to Albertans.

Examples of the UCP government moving ahead despite significant public opposition have become difficult to ignore. Trust in Danielle Smith and the UCP government has fallen as a result of decisions such as:

• Reversing Alberta's longstanding policy to protect our Rocky Mountains and open the Eastern Slopes to new coal mining developments.

•  Pursuing the withdrawal of Albertans' retirement savings from the Canada Pension Plan.
• Underfunding the RCMP in rural communities while spending taxpayer dollars to develop a provincial police force.
•  Introducing measures that would require Albertans to pay more for healthcare services.
•  Holding a costly referendum on separation.
•  Cutting monthly support payments for Albertans living with disabilities.

With public trust already strained, the UCP is now pushing ahead with plans to attract AI data centres to Alberta without first having meaningful conversations with Albertans. Under current policy, major data centre projects can be approved without environmental assessments or public consultation.

Not surprisingly, many communities are raising concerns. In Olds, residents have pushed back against the prospect of a massive AI data centre and power plant being built near homes and neighbourhoods.

AI data centres represent a new and rapidly growing industry. The potential benefits, costs, and long-term impacts on Alberta's power grid, water resources, environment, and economy deserve careful consideration. As technology companies race to build these facilities across North America, Albertans should have a voice in deciding how and where they fit into our province's future.

That is why the Alberta NDP has been hosting public consultations. Hundreds of Albertans attended a recent session in St. Albert, and another was held in Red Deer this week. Next week, we'll host an online consultation so Albertans from every corner of the province can participate.

There are important questions that deserve answers about artificial intelligence, AI data centres, and what this emerging industry means for Alberta. Very few jobs are created by AI Data centres. The businesses that own them do not pay income tax in Alberta. They consume enormous amounts of power, threatening to outpace our electricity grid’s capacity, and drive up costs for Albertans who already pay too much for their utility bills.

The UCP government’s track record on the environment is poor and it has eliminated funding for several environmental advisory and monitoring organizations, including the Alberta Water Council and the Clean Air Strategic Alliance, both of which have previously played important roles in developing practical solutions to complex environmental challenges.

Albertans want to be heard before decisions are made, not after. Good government means listening first, engaging openly, and earning public trust. Put simply: listen to voters.

Post-script: Following strong public turnout at the consultations organized by the NDP Caucus, the government has now decided to hold consultations of its own. What voters find frustrating is that this is happening after decisions have already been announced. Albertans want to be partners in shaping the future of our province, not spectators reacting after the fact. Listening first and deciding second would go a long way toward rebuilding trust.

This column was published in The Sherwood Park News on August 13, 2026.