A task force is being created to get Albertans back to work.

Member of Parliament, Blake Richards feels on a Federal level not much is being done for Albertans, so the Conservative Caucus is taking matters into their own hands.

"We feel as the official opposition, the Trudeau government isn't really giving any due attention to the needs of our province and so many thousands of workers that are out of work. When you see them throwing on the new carbon tax and not really doing anything to support our energy industry or its workers; we decided it was time we do something if the government isn't going to."

The Alberta Jobs Taskforce will take information from average Albertans both employed and out of work, employers, small business owners, and social assistance organizations to come up with a plan to push the government.

"We are trying to play a very constructive role, we need to provide options, alternatives, and suggestions and that is what this is geared to do; this gives people that opportunity to provide those suggestions that we'll take forward on their behalf to Ottawa and try to force the government to act on."

Richards adds the timing is critical.

"People are getting to the point where the assistance they got whether it be severance packages or EI is running out and of course then that is when we have a secondary impact, which is making it tough for a lot of families; of course then a lot of our local small businesses start to suffer as a result of less ability for people being able to put money into the economy. So then we start to worry about those small businesses as well."

Richards adds we have an abundance of natural resources but we need the government to act on it.

"We need a government that will actively support and promote that industry so we can see some improvement."

A local consultation with the Alberta Jobs Taskforce will be held in Airdrie on November 8 at 3pm; of course community members can provide direct feedback anytime to the Taskforce here or to Richards directly at blake@blakerichards.ca