In February of this year, the Alberta New Democratic Party (ANDP) proposed the creation of a $200 million venture capital fund to support the province’s technology and innovation sectors. This is the latest move in an ongoing game of one-upmanship between the opposition ANDP and Alberta’s governing United Conservative Party (UCP).

Both parties are keen to offer incentives to attract and keep Big Tech in Alberta. From enormous R&D grants, to simple funding and vouchers, appealing to Big Tech has been a bipartisan line for Alberta’s last two administrations. But it is a misplaced long-term strategy for regional development. Big Tech destroys communities in myriad ways. While other areas have begun to turn their back on tech investment, Alberta presses on.

Big Tech appeals to politicians because it seems fluid and adaptable, and presents itself as being recession-proof. It also synergizes well with resource extraction. The UCP’s claim to be concerned with diversifying Alberta’s oil-dependent economy are clearly disingenuous. Their plans mainly involve combining tech with an unsustainable fossil fuel model instead of moving beyond it.