Alberta’s $33-a-barrel windfall proves the province’s budget is still an oil bet

# Editorial Summary This piece argues that Alberta's current oil-driven budget surplus, while genuine, reflects dangerous structural fiscal dependency rather than improved economic management, and warns that spending this windfall would repeat a destructive 40-year historical pattern. Its strongest qualities are precise quantification of oil price sensitivity ($680M per $1/barrel), clear explanation of why the surplus is larger than reported, and a compelling geopolitical framing (the Strait of Hormuz matters more than Edmonton policy).