The policies of Notley's government have increased the damage to the economy.

The conventional wisdom based on counter-cyclical economics is to try and maximize employment, and inject money into the economy, both as a temporary grease in the wheels, and with a longer strategic outlook.

Both the carbon tax and raise in minimum wage are against these goals, as they make hiring more expensive and increase costs on consumers and businesses. 

The best course in these circumstances is to take a certain hit through government borrowing over the planning outlook to put stimulus into the economy, with a certain amount of direct transfers to individuals, a certain amount of strategic investment, and possibly tax relief.

Unfortunately, stimulus measures are often pork or nepotism, undermining their effectiveness.