NDP alternative budget sees 99 per cent of Albertans pay less, get more

EDMONTON — The NDP Official Opposition has released an Alternative Budget to the one put forward by Jason Kenney and the UCP government, one that sees Albertans pay less and get more.

The budget reverses the failed $4.7-billion corporate handout that isn’t creating jobs and instead increases personal income taxes by one per cent on the wealthiest one per cent, those earning more than $315,000 annually. Anyone earning less than $315,000 would pay less under the NDP budget by reversing Kenney’s sneaky “bracket creep” scheme and numerous other fee and tax hikes being pushed onto everyday Albertans by the UCP.

“Under Jason Kenney, Albertans are paying more and getting less, with the exception of those running big corporations,” said NDP Finance Critic Shannon Phillips. “We are turning this Premier’s terrible and cruel budget on its head with our plan. We’re removing his failed $4.7-billion corporate handout and are instead investing in diversification and job creation.

“We would fund school enrolment growth, we would limit tuition fee increases to inflation, we would re-index AISH and seniors’ benefits, and we would absolutely not fire thousands upon thousands of frontline healthcare workers as our population grows.”

The Premier’s corporate handout has not worked. Eighteen thousand jobs were lost in November alone, the largest onemonth job loss outside of a recession in provincial history.

The NDP’S Alternative Budget comes after a series of town hall meetings held in the fall and tens of thousands

We’re removing his failed $4.7-billion corporate handout and are instead investing in diversification and job creation.

of emails and handwritten letters from Albertans concerned about Jason Kenney’s cruel budget.

“This Government did not consult

before they moved to slash funding for our hospitals, our schools and the services Albertans rely on,” Phillips said. “They claimed they had a mandate to do the damage they have done, but the attacks on Albertans in their budget cannot be found in the UCP platform. Jason Kenney’s true agenda has been revealed – he lied to Albertans, he cut frontline spending when he said he wouldn’t and he used the Office of the Premier to bury his corrupt acts.”

“We actually consulted with Albertans and are proud to present them with a budget that proves it didn’t have to be this way. We would continue to reduce school fees instead of hiking them, we would maintain the cap on insurance and the cap on electricity bills, instead of letting companies run those costs up, and we would not download a $200-million bill for policing onto municipal councillors who then will be left with no choice but to hike property taxes.”

The Alternative Budget examines two scenarios for carbon pricing on non-industrial emitters. One where the federal backstop is implemented and one where we return to the previous pricing regime with an enhanced rural consumer rebate of $200 million. In both cases, the budget returns to balance 2023-2024.

The NDP budget also maintains tax credits to support emerging high-tech and digital industries. Under this UCP government’s budget, these job creators have paused or cancelled their expansion plans, and are even considering other locations for new projects and offices.

“The budget maintains a credible path to balance that will eliminate the deficit by 2023-24,” Phillips said. “The UCP government’s plan, which comes to balance only one year sooner and actually carries a higher deficit this year, forces Alberta families and businesses to pay more and causes longterm damage to our economy. Albertans can already see this happening.” ■

JASON KENNEY / FACEBOOK