First Legislative session dominated by budget talks
Posted Oct 26, 2015 5:43 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Premier Rachel Notley is defending the concept of taking on more debt to pay for construction ahead of Tuesday’s budget. Notley told the house in question period that economic instability takes many forms.
“You know what else hurts jobs and security for Albertans? A $3.5 billion dollar cut to services. Laying off tens of thousands of employees of front line employees and service workers, and undercutting our education and our healthcare,” said Notley.
The premier says her government will protect front-line public sector jobs in the budget. The government has already said the deficit will be more than $6 billion dollars as it grapples with low oil revenues and a growing population.
Wildrose Leader Brian Jean says Albertans need to worry about an N-D-P government signalling it will take on more debt to pay for construction. Jean says the government’s triple-A credit rating will soon be at risk.
“Losing the triple-A rating significantly increases the amount of money that goes to paying interest on the debt. Does the premier understand how much this issue means to all Albertans?” said Jean.
The NDP is also getting heat from the Progressive Conservatives for waiting almost six months to present a budget. PC Leader Ric McIver calls it irresponsible. Notley had this to say in response.
“We could have had a budget already if the previous government had chosen to pass the budget before they called an election a year earlier than the legislation that was in place at the time,” said Notley.
The Progressive Conservatives presented a budget in March but called an election before passing it. The NDP defeated the PCs in the election, and will present a new budget Tuesday.
