Opposition lashes out at Prentice over comments

Alberta Premier Jim Prentice is under fire for comments he made on a radio show on March 4, 2015, saying that all Albertans need to do to find an answer for the province's financial woes is to 'look in the mirror'.

The Alberta NDP and Wildrose Parties are calling on Premier Jim Prentice to apologize for comments he made on Wednesday, suggesting that Albertans were to blame for the province’s financial troubles.

During a radio interview, Prentice said that all residents of Alberta need to shoulder some of the blame for the province’s budget shortfall, which is in the ballpark of around $7B.

He said that all Albertans have had the “best of everything” for too long.

"In terms of who is responsible, we all need only look in the mirror," Prentice told the radio show. "All of us have had the best of everything and have not had to pay for what it costs.

"Collectively, we got into this as Albertans, and collectively we're going to get out of it, and everybody is going to have to shoulder some share of the responsibility."

Rachel Notley, leader of the NDP, called the comments “profoundly insulting” on Thursday.

“If Jim Prentice were to look in the mirror what he would see is the leader of a very tired, 43-year-old government. A government that is completely, and totally, and solely responsible for the fiscal crisis that we are in right now,” Notley said in a release.

“We are calling on Jim Prentice to issue an apology to Albertans for the profoundly insulting statement that he made and to take responsibility for his record and for his government records.”

Wildrose leader Heather Forsyth says that she was shocked to hear Prentice’s comments.

“For months, Mr. Prentice has been talking down to Albertans, acting like Chicken Little, and shaking consumer and investor confidence by raising the largest tax history in Alberta history. Quite frankly, at a time where many Albertans are hearing of job losses, are seeing the value of their homes go down, and are just worried about making ends meet, Mr. Prentice’s comments of blaming Albertans for being at fault for the PC governments gross fiscal mismanagements shows how deeply this PC government is out of touch.”

She says that Prentice is looking at a way to punish Albertans and that doesn’t sit well with her.

“Albertans can be reassured that a Wildrose government will always work to put the best interest of Albertans first,” Forsyth said. “Today, we are demanding an apology on behalf of Albertans and on behalf of the Wildrose for Mr. Prentice’s condescending comments. We would think at this time, we would see better leadership.”

Regular Albertans have also been lashing out at the Prentice government, with the hashtag #PrenticeBlamesAlbertans trending on Twitter.

The tweets cover everything from sarcastic comments about Albertans blaming themselves to memes on the issue.

Prentice will be releasing the budget on March 26 and has warned that it will include a lot of tough decisions.

Last month, he told a Calgary radio station that it will be “the most significant budget in modern times in the province”.

Finance Minister Robin Campbell says he has been touring the province extensively over the past months, gathering ideas on how best to address the drop in the province's oil revenue.

"On March 26, Albertans will see how Budget 2015 will protect vulnerable and working families while controlling our spending and laying out a long-term 10-year plan for transitioning our finances away from the rollercoaster of energy prices," he said in a release.

(With files from CTVNews.ca and CTV Edmonton)