Alberta fiscal update brings more bad news: 7 ways NDP could balance budget

The second quarter fiscal update is more bad news for Albertans. Revenue is up $1.3 billion but expenses are up to $1.7 billion. The debt increased to $10.8 billion which is up over $700 million since the last budget was passed.

Why? Because the Alberta government simply can’t stop spending taxpayer money recklessly.

They’re pumping more money into the healthcare system, they’re paying millions into $25 per day daycare when we already have a subsidy program, more millions on a lunch program and half a million in ‘equality for women’ grants - all at a time when the province is paying $1 billion for debt servicing.

Corporate tax revenues continue to decrease along with drops in business investment. Ceci assures us that Alberta is middle of the road for taxes, while denying that business has been moving to different jurisdictions after the NDP raised taxes by 2% at the worst possible time.

I’ve already reported that Saskatchewan will out drill Alberta next year which suggests that Ceci’s claim is a lie.

Throwing more money at the public sector and a looming carbon tax that Albertans can’t afford just doesn’t make sense. I’m no accountant or economist, but I can think of several ways to have balanced out the $449 million in added spending from this update.

Watch as I offer seven ways off the top of my head, and this is just a start.

Albertans have reined in their spending significantly in these hard times.

If only the Alberta NDP used the lessons of everyday Albertans and implemented those same strategies into the budget.