Barrhead-Morinville-Westlock MLA Glenn van Dijken criticized the NDP for passing yet another high-deficit budget, arguing the province should do more to scrutinize expenses and cut costs.
“It’s concerning to me that the government has not been able to rein in spending,” he said. “We have to become competitive and be more efficient in the way we spend taxpayers’ dollars.”
On March 22, finance minister Joe Ceci dropped a $8.8 billion deficit budget with the goal of returning to a $700 million surplus by 2024.
The province will continue to run deficits that will see the province’s net debt rise from $21.7 billion this year to $96 billion.
Currently B.C.’s net debt is $42.3 billion, Saskatchewan’s is $12.2 billion, Quebec is $182.7 billion and Ontario’s comes in at $311.7 billion.
Consumption and income taxes are not increasing, though the province has signaled its intent to collect revenue from cannabis producers and is changing how it will use the carbon tax when it rises to 40 per cent under the federal government’s climate change policy, using some of the revenue to cover expenses instead of using it to fund green initiatives exclusively.
van Dijken called the shift in the carbon tax a “PST through the back door.”
Alberta will spend $1.9 billion to service the debt this year. The budget itself has few surprises, with healthcare leading the way in costs at just below $22.1 billion — a $600 million increase.
Education is the second biggest expense at $8.4 billion with advanced education the third biggest cost at $6.1 billion. Community and Social Services is getting just under $3.7 billion.
Children’s Services will receive $1.5 billion and the treasury board gets $1.6 billion. The province earmarked just under $1.47 billion for the justice system, just over $1 billion for agriculture and forestry and $2.8 billion for government services.
Seniors and housing are getting $614 million, infrastructure receives $497 million and energy gets $478 million.
One controversial part of the budget is the assumption that three pipeline projects, the Keystone XL, TransMountain and Enbridge Line 3 will all be built and start generating revenue. The province is also betting on the price of oil averaging around $70 a barrel.
van Dijken said that the UCP was still determining its own fiscal policy and would have a plan in place after its founding convention in May.
The UCP did not release a shadow budget of its own, as van Dijken said it was a waste of the party’s resources.
