By Jeff Henson

YEAR-END INTERVIEW

Year-end interview: Chris Warkentin

Dec 29, 2021 | 8:25 AM

The Member of Parliament for Grande Prairie-Mackenzie says 2021 was a very challenging year for many Canadians.

In a year-end interview with EverythingGP, Chris Warkentin says the continued fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic has put added stress on a number of areas, including small business owners, health care workers, the tourism sector, and all the way down to families.

AGRICULTURE

Warkentin says the past 12 months have been especially challenging for Peace Country farmers.

“We saw commodity prices at an all-time high in some cases. But, with the challenging drought and some of the challenges with yield, it was a mixed bag for many Peace country farmers.”

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Warkentin is hopeful that commodity prices will hold in 2022, and that it will overall be a better year for farmers.

ENERGY AND FORESTRY

Meanwhile, Warkentin adds a significant challenge moving forward is what he calls the federal government’s unwillingness to recognize that Canada can be a leader when it comes to producing some of the best and cleanest oil and gas in the world.

“We are seeing energy shortages in Europe and Asia. And nobody can fill those demands in the way that Canada can. In terms of providing an environmentally sensitive product that recognizes some of the highest environmental standards in the world. As well as some of the strongest employment regulations in the world in the protection of workers.”

Warkentin is also frustrated over what he sees as the Liberal government’s refusal to advocate for the Canadian forestry sector, in the face of more softwood lumber tariffs by the Biden administration in recent months.

ECONOMY

Warkentin says the federal government’s only response to financial challenges in recent years has been to print more money.

He says that has several long-lasting, negative impacts, one of which is driving inflation higher.

Warkentin adds the people he is most concerned about are those living on fixed incomes.

“People like senior citizens that are living on pensions that are pre-determined and will not see escalation as a result of inflation. It simply means that those people will find it more and more difficult to make ends meet. Many of these people are already finding it challenging to make ends meet before this hyper-inflation.”

Warkentin feels there are a number of innovative ways to rebuild the economy in ways that will have a long-lasting, positive impact.

He says allowing the private sector to unleash innovation will lead to major investments coming to the Peace country in areas like agriculture, forestry, and the oil and gas sector.