Alberta Liberal Tax Breaks and Electricity Deregulation Save Each Seniors Household $1000 per Year

An Alberta Liberal government will put an average of $700 per household back into the pockets of seniors who own their own homes through reducing their taxes, Alberta Liberal Leader Kevin Taft announced today. The maximum benefit under this program will be $1000 per household.

Seniors paying their own utilities will save an additional $300 per residence as a result of the Alberta Liberal plan to re-regulate electricity.

Under the Action Plan for Seniors, the Alberta Liberals will immediately move to reduce taxes for seniors by the equivalent of the education portion of property taxes to help seniors remain in their homes despite rising property values and assessments. The plan will reduce taxes for seniors with no impact on education funding.

This tax reduction is more than twice the benefit promised by Ed Stelmach.

“The Alberta Liberals are committed to ensuring a secure and high quality of life for our seniors, the people who built this province,” said Taft. “The current government has allowed costs to reach levels that are often unmanageable for Alberta’s seniors – whether it’s their property tax bills, or their unpredictable power bills. It’s time to change that.”

Under the Action Plan for Seniors, the Alberta Liberals will:

• Return an average of $700 to all seniors’ households by reducing their taxes.
• Establish an Independent Seniors’ Advocate as soon as possible.
• Increase the number of dental procedures covered by the Dental Assistance for Seniors program.
• Inflation-proof the Alberta Seniors Benefit by indexing it to the Alberta Consumer Price Index. As costs of living rise, so will the benefit.
• Help seniors keep their homes by establishing a loan program for home repairs, to be repaid upon sale of the house. This will be a nearly cost-neutral program, and no qualifying senior will be turned away.

“The Tories have been trying to convince Alberta’s seniors, through election campaign promises, that the current government is looking out for them,” says Taft. “The truth is that that the Stelmach government has let seniors down, time and time again.”

“The Alberta Liberals have a plan to ensure that the seniors who built our province can make their money go further and enjoy the quality of life they deserve.”

The Alberta Liberals will also restore affordable and reliable power to seniors and all Albertans, through the re-regulation of electricity. This policy will save each Alberta household an estimated minimum of $300 per year.

“Albertans shouldn’t have to shop around for the best deal on electricity,” says Taft. “It’s a necessity we can’t live without. Through re-regulating electricity, the Alberta Liberals will ensure that consumers are getting the best rate possible, and the most reliable power supply.”