Alberta Liberal Leader David Khan issued the following statement in reaction to the UCP budget:

Khan stated, “At a time when Alberta needs thoughtful leadership, the UCP Government is offering wild projections and short-term thinking. 

“The UCP Government is strapping Albertans in on the resource roller coaster once again. Their budget projections are banking on outdated and overly-optimistic oil and gas revenue projections from last year. Additionally, they are still relying on their corporate tax cuts to create an economic boom that just isn’t coming. 

“If Alberta wants to confidently move towards a stable fiscal future, we need to implement the Alberta Liberal’s revenue-neutral sales tax. Without raising the tax burden on Albertans we can spur growth through tax efficiency and give some much-needed stability to our provincial finances. The UCP needs to stop rolling the dice and do their economic homework. 

“This budget is going to hurt Albertans. The new funding formula for classrooms means funding will not keep up with enrollment growth. Changes to physician compensation and the firing of nurses will reduce the quality of care and drive more Albertans into our costly emergency services. This is pennywise and pound-foolish governance. 

“While I give some credit to this government for at least trying to address the growing issue of orphaned wells, their solution is backward. The Orphan Well Association does not need loans from the Government. We need to make polluters pay. That is why the Alberta Liberals proposed the creation of a cleanup bond. The UCP needs to stand up for taxpayers and responsible resource companies that are paying their fair share. 

“This UCP budget is a house of cards. It is only a matter of time before it topples over and Albertans are left cleaning up the mess.” 

Alberta Liberal Leader David Khan issues the following statement in reaction to the UCP Throne Speech:

Khan stated, “This Throne Speech is proof that the UCP Government is unable to learn from their mistakes. Jobs are down, we’re struggling to attract investment, and our public services are suffering thanks to this Government. 

“Capital is attracted to stability, but Premier Kenney is offering us populist rhetoric, locking horns with Ottawa and offering no leadership on climate action. These were all reasons Teck canceled their Frontier oil sands mine application. An Alberta Liberal government would create the stability needed to attract new investment to our province. 

“The UCP has no plan to get Albertans back to work. Our party proposes creating a grant program to help out-of-work Albertans pay for post-secondary education and job training. This grant would help unemployed Albertans learn new skills and allow industry to fill labour shortages. 

“The UCP claim they won’t be cutting essential public services, but this simply isn’t true. Enrollment growth is not being funded and our health care system is in chaos. Albertans who depend on these public services are hurting thanks to this government. Alberta Liberals would strike a balance between investing in public services and balancing the government books. 

“I do, however, applaud the UCP’s move to limit donations to Political Action Committees and ban foreign donations. This is something Alberta Liberals have been championing for two years and something the NDP failed to do. It is positive to see the UCP listen to us on this issue.”