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GOVERNMENT: Liberals say Alberta must pay itself first
        (AlbertaIndex, February 12, Tuesday) --- Alberta Liberal Leader Kevin Taft has unveiled his vision for an Alberta with permanent low taxes and “world-leading, sustainable government services” including health care and education. Albertans will get to vote on this and other proposals by political parties vying for power at the provincial elections scheduled on March 3.
        Taft says the province has the ability to lead the way in excellent health care and education, to pay off its infrastructure debt, to address climate change, to encourage sustainable development and to create a cultural renaissance through increased funding to the arts – all through a proper savings plan.

“Ed Stelmach would have you believe that an excellent public health care system is unsustainable, and that investing in post-secondary education and the arts is simply too expensive.

“He’s wrong. Nowhere on Earth, and I mean nowhere, offers such opportunities as Alberta. It’s the one place where we can deliver excellent, world-leading public services and permanent prosperity, fueled by a thriving private sector. But instead we’re just treading water.”

Taft says Alberta would be well on its way to securing permanent prosperity if the current government had started setting aside savings off the top.

“We don’t have to raise taxes to have the best health care system and the best education system in the world. The money is here right now – all we need is the leadership to get us there. It’s time to stop squandering Alberta’s opportunities through ad hoc, off-budget spending.”

Taft says the Alberta Liberals will implement a resource revenue savings plan to ensure long-term sustainability for key areas including health care and post-secondary education.

“The Alberta Liberal resource revenue savings plan is like taking out an RRSP and saving a portion of your pay cheque off the top. The approach of the Ed Stelmach Conservatives has been nothing but ad hoc, and they’re trying to pass it off as a plan.

“Albertans deserve a government that is as creative, as hard-working and courageous as they are. Too much time has been lost to cronyism, incompetence and mismanagement. It’s time to do better. Our resources aren’t going to last forever.

Without a plan, Stelmach’s government will have to make a choice between increasing taxes and cutting programs, neither of which is good for Albertans. There’s a better way.

“If we start saving and spending wisely now, the future is bright. Alberta has a great opportunity right now to save a portion of its resources, so that we can sustain world-leading programs long into the future. Its time to get it right for a change – it’s time to pave the path to our future.”


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