‘Humbled’ Horner mulls leadership run
Minister says it’s too early to make a decision
Alberta’s finance minister says he’ll consider whether to run for the Progressive Conservative party leadership after the provincial budget is passed later this month.
“I’m not closing any doors and I’m humbled by the amount of support and interest in my future,” Doug Horner told reporters Tuesday after a speech to the Economics Society of Northern Alberta. “But right now my focus is on the budget.”
Another cabinet minister, Calgary-based Municipal Affairs Minister Ken Hughes, announced Monday he is gauging levels of support for a possible leadership bid.
Horner, touted as a potential strong contender from northern Alberta, said it’s too early to take any such steps himself. Horner ran unsuccessfully in the 2010 leadership race.
“I put my family through this once before and it was a very trying experience. I think that’s the No. 1 consideration,” said Horner.
The leadership vote will take place Sept. 6.
Last spring, the province’s 2013-14 budget saw the financial document split into operating, capital and savings plans. Over the past week, it has been slammed by the C.D. Howe Institute and former Progressive Conservative finance minister Ted Morton as confusing and difficult to understand.
On Tuesday, Justice Minister Jonathan Denis tweeted that he’s heard from many people that Alberta should “move to a simpler budgeting reporting process.”
Horner quickly responded to his cabinet colleague on Twitter, saying that under the old budget reporting system used by former premier Ralph Klein, “we show a $1.1-billion surplus. How much simpler do you want?”
In an interview, Horner said the new format has drawn praise from credit rating agency Standard and Poor, and the Alberta Chambers of Commerce.
Horner said he wouldn’t take lessons on budgeting from Morton, whose sole budget as finance minister in 2010 projected a $4.7-billion deficit.
The government is determined to provide — with minimal spending increases — services, roads, schools and hospitals to the 105,000 new Albertans arriving each year, he said.
Horner is convinced that can be done with budget increases well below the combined cost of inflation and population growth for the next three years.
That’s because the government will find hundreds of millions of dollars in savings in each department with results-based budgeting, he said.
Also, it’s time to have the private sector do more, such as having developers build schools, he said.
“I’ve said in my riding — does Parkland County need to own that school?” said Horner.
Horner says this does not mean a smaller civil service — “I don’t want to cut people.”
But it is essential to curb the cost of public service wages, he added.