VANCOUVER — British Columbia Premier Christy Clark says Alberta is her province's best friend in the country and its financial experience should be a cautionary tale for others.
In a throne speech on Tuesday, Clark's government said Alberta lost its economic focus but she told reporters Thursday those comments were meant to warn people in her own province of the financial danger if it fails to save for hard times.
"It's really a cautionary tale. Alberta is a province that for decades has had tremendous wealth," she said at an event in Vancouver to announce funding for B.C.'s music industry.
"And for decades, government after government of all different stripes spent like sailors. And what we saw was that ultimately, we saw them really squander a tremendous opportunity. They didn't diversify their economy.
They didn't put aside their money. Now, their government — and it's not about the politics of it — their government's really struggling to try and support the province."
Clark said she wants to make sure that British Columbia doesn't fall into the same trap as it rides a wave of economic prosperity.
"They (Albertans) are our best friends in this country. When Alberta struggles, we all struggle," she said.
On Wednesday, Alberta's economic development minister said he interprets the throne speech comments as an attack on that province's previous Conservative governments, not the current New Democrats.
