Right-wing budget proposals would worsen Alberta’s recession
Independent analysis shows that attempts to balance the budget too quickly would dramatically magnify job losses
Read moreRight-wing budget proposals would worsen AB’s recession
Independent analysis shows that attempts to balance the budget too quickly would dramatically magnify job losses
Read moreNotley makes best of bad situation
Budget will help Alberta recover from slump
Read moreBudget 2015 and 2016 Feedback
The Overview
It is clear Alberta is facing a challenging fiscal landscape. But the problem has much more to do with revenue than spending.
Past Progressive Conservative governments have been entirely unwilling to examine the revenue side of the ledger, which always put public service cuts squarely at the centre of the agenda. Alberta has had a long history of justifying cuts to public services. Whether it is zero-based budgeting initiatives or discussions about “trimming non-essential services,” the narrative has not been whether we will cut, but how much?
The new Government of Alberta has a critical task ahead as it attempts to turn the page on decades of austerity. Since being elected four months ago, it has made considerable progress in raising new revenues needed to support public programs and services. However, given Alberta’s continued reliance on high commodity prices, much remains to be done as Minister Ceci now anticipates a record budget deficit of at least $5.9 billion.
By eroding tax fairness, past governments have placed the new government in an extremely difficult position as it asserts the need to maintain public services and staff levels, while addressing serious revenue shortfalls.
Read more