Opposition parties skeptical fiscal plan will be path to balance
EDMONTON Opposition lawmakers aren’t holding their breath for Thursday’s provincial budget, which the NDP promised will include a path to balance in 2023.
“I’m hoping the government finally wakes up and smells the coffee and has a credible plan to eliminate the deficit, balance the budget and begin repaying the debt,” said United Conservative Party Leader Jason Kenney, adding he doubts that will be the case.
Finance Minister Joe Ceci said Tuesday the government is relying on the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion to bolster the economy and balance the budget.
“We’ve built (it) into budget because that’s what everybody believes will happen,” he said.
The Alberta Party and Independent MLA Derek Fildebrandt put forward separate shadow budgets Wednesday. But Kenney called the practice a gimmick.
“Opposition parties don’t have a fraction of the information the government does that’s necessary to put together a credible fiscal plan,” he said.
That didn’t stop the NDP from releasing its own projection of what a UCP budget might look like.
Deputy premier Sarah Hoffman said the official Opposition hasn’t released its plan for the economy — “Is there a plan to not balance in 2023 or is there a plan to cut health and education, because they won’t answer that question.”
Kenney said the UCP will put together a costed fiscal plan before the next election, expected in 2019.
Alberta Party finance critic Greg Clark unveiled a shadow budget that called for a nearly $1-billion cut to health-care operating expenses by 2019-20.
“You can’t tell me there’s no way to find some savings within a system that large,” Clark told a news conference, adding there are duplications in services between Alberta Health Services and Alberta Health, which sets policy. “Alberta Health simply sits there as an overlord.”
Hoffman, who is also health minister, questioned whether the proposal would require a healthcare levy.
“They are planning to also have fees and services go up, so are they proposing they bring back the same health-care premiums Albertans rejected in 2015,” she said.
I’m hoping the government finally wakes up and smells the coffee and has a credible plan to eliminate the deficit, balance the budget and (repay) the debt.
Fildebrandt’s shadow budget repeated his call for a five-per-cent cut to MLA salaries. His plan also advocated for cutting public service staff costs by three to five per cent.
Fildebrandt said some of his former Opposition colleagues have supported his idea to cut MLA salaries.
“I can tell you matter-of-factly I know many United Conservative (Party) MLAs support doing just that,” he said. “Some would be concerned about getting attacked by other parties for it.”