On Dec. 19, Albertans received an early Christmas gift from the PC government — but it’s one you’ll probably wish you could take back to the store. Finance Minister Doug Horner and Premier Alison Redford finally admitted they have no hope of balancing even the operating budget and will set Alberta down a path of escalating, long-term debt.
Instead of showing leadership, Premier Redford is sinking Alberta’s economic ship and is throwing our most vulnerable overboard first.
The news comes on the heels of a number of fiscal missteps by the Redford government, namely plunging Alberta back into debt.
Then the PC government admitted the 140 family care clinics they promised may no longer be feasible. They followed that up with breaking a promise to school boards for stable funding. They are even quietly flirting with the idea of raising taxes in years to come. The promises made in the spring election have been thrown out the window.
Stay tuned in the new year around budget time when we as the Official Opposition will release a series of proposals to begin digging Alberta out of the fiscal hole the PCs have put us in. We believe it is our job to propose positive solutions to fix this mess, especially when the current government simply will not.
On a happier note, 2012 had many successes locally. In a previous column I mentioned but a few of the many events in the area. I was pleased to attend the Light Up the Night event in Lacombe, the CP Holiday Train through Lacombe and Ponoka in support of their food banks, the Satinwood Christmas School concert. Also, it was my pleasure to host several school tours throughout the Alberta Legislature over the fall. Congratulations also go out to Judy Carleton and the Blackfalds Historical Society for being awarded the Outstanding Achievement Award from the Alberta Historical Resources Foundation.
It was good to meet many of you at my Christmas open house and enjoy some good conversations.
I look forward to many more successes from constituents, cities, towns, villages and organizations within the constituency in 2013.
As your Wildrose MLA for Lacombe-Ponoka, I look forward to hearing from you. Contact my office at #101 4892 46 Street, Lacombe, AB T4L 2B4 or phone 403 782 7725.