Alberta Oil and the Decline of Democracy in Canada

In probing the impact of Alberta’s powerful oil lobby on thehealth of democracy in the province, contributors to the volume engagewith an ongoing discussion of the erosion of political liberalism inthe West. In addition to examining energy policy and issues ofgovernment accountability in Alberta, they explore the ramifications ofoil dependence in areas such as Aboriginal rights, environmentalpolicy, labour law, women’s equity, urban social policy, and thearts. If, as they argue, reliance on oil has weakened democraticstructures in Alberta, then what of Canada as whole, where theshort-term priorities of the oil industry continue to shape federalpolicy? In Alberta, the New Democratic Party is in a position toreverse the democratic deficit that is presently fuelling political andeconomic inequality. The findings in this book suggest that, torevitalize democracy, provincial and federal leaders alike must findthe courage to curb the influence of the oil industry ongovernance.