Provincial groups react to Stelmach budget
Posted Feb 9, 2010 10:16 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Reaction is pouring in from all over the province after the release of today’s budget.
The president of the Alberta Union of Public Employees says he’s shocked at the number of positions being cut from public services.
Guy Smith tells 660News he doesn’t understand why the finance minister made cuts to children and youth services and environmental protection, two areas that are very important to Albertans.
He says he’s concerned about what Alberta’s services will look like after all of the cuts.
Meantime, the Canadian Federation of Independent Business says there is nothing in this budget for the small business operator.
Richard Truscott tells 660News they were looking for a cut to red tape for small business but it wasn’t there. He says that’s disappointing, since it was something that would’ve cost the government very little to implement.
And the Canadian Taxpayers Federation says today’s budget reminds them of the Don Getty era of Alberta politics, where every year promises were made to get out of deficit and it never happened.
The head of the Alberta branch of the group, Scott Hennig, tells 660News after two months of talking about spending cuts today’s budget doesn’t make any sense.
He says if the government keeps spending like they are and wipe out the sustainability fund, tax hikes could be on the way in three to five years.
