Danielle Smith and the UCP are spending, spending spending. An election's not far off
CBC
As Alberta continues its never-ending journey on the oil and gas rollercoaster, the province's fortunes are among the best ever, with cash from the oilpatch still filling up the coffers.
After several years of fiscal restraint, Tuesday's provincial budget shows the governing United Conservative Party (UCP) is in the mood to open the vault and ramp up spending for health care, education, highways and dozens of other projects. Operating costs will climb by $2.6 billion and capital costs are in the tens of billions.
The sharp jump in expenses, of course, comes while the province is heading toward a spring election and current opinion polls have the governing UCP and Premier Danielle Smith in a near tie with the opposition NDP and Leader Rachel Notley.
With so much money pouring into the government's hands, there are relatively few limits to what parties could promise during the election in a bid to lure as many voters as they can. If any party wants to make extravagant pledges of big ticket projects, there is no shortage of money to fund it.
After a surplus of more than $10 billion last year, the government projects another $2.4 billion this year, with further surpluses anticipated in the coming few years.
The decisions on how to spend and save could be a critical focus simply because of how much money is on the table.
"This is what the election campaign is going to centre on," said Ken Boessenkool, a public policy expert who has worked or volunteered for former prime minister Stephen Harper, as well as Preston Manning, Stockwell Day, and Christy Clark.
"Do you want a province with higher spending or do you want a province with more savings? I think the big question is: Will Smith be able to resist the urge to spend more money in the face of a New Democratic Party who's politically competitive [and] will almost certainly be promising to spend a lot more."
So far, it's Smith who's dishing out the dollars.
The UCP's budget includes a rise in expenses by $2.6 billion to $68.3 billion, including the hiring of 7,600 new government workers with the majority in health care and education. Overall, the health budget will reach a record high of $24.5 billion, an increase of 4.1 per cent.
Other highlights include billions in affordability measures, such as lowering utility bills and a massive $23-billion infrastructure campaign over the next three years to improve and build highways, hospitals and other projects.
"There's an awful lot of money tumbling out of Edmonton into various programs," said Boessenkool, a partner with Meredith Boessenkool Policy Advisors.
"There's one thing that drives spending in Alberta, and it's not the ideology of the premier. What drives spending in Alberta is revenue, and when revenue goes up, spending goes up."
Indeed, the oilpatch continues to provide a massive windfall for the province. Revenues are down slightly from last year as commodity prices have softened, but remain well above average. Meanwhile, corporate taxes are expected to hit a record high on the strength of the oilpatch and the overall provincial economy.
A church service in Stratford, P.E.I., brought together Christmas traditions from across the globe on Sunday.
On an extremely cold day, many people would prefer to stay home, cozy up under a blanket, and put on the TV, radio, or a favourite podcast.
In an era of Ring doorbells and No Soliciting signs, breaking the evening silence of a suburban London street can sometimes feel like a radical act.
For years, oil tanker traffic has been prohibited off the waters of northern British Columbia in order to protect environmentally sensitive coastlines from disaster.
Cape Breton organizations that give out clothing to people in need are having trouble keeping their closets full.
Gabriel Plourde’s introduction to the music world came when he was nine, and a character in a Legend of Zelda game played a type of flute called an ocarina.
A TTC streetcar has derailed following an early morning crash with a car at a busy downtown Toronto intersection, said police.
This First Person article is the experience of Itrat Anwar, a newcomer from Bangladesh who now calls Steinbach, Man., his home. For more information about CBC's First Person stories, please see this FAQ. You can read more First Person articles here.
James Benesh was so interested in researching an online hockey draft, he ended up with one of the largest-known collections of hockey books and eventually being called a hockey historian.
A recent market and fundraiser showcasing Palestinian-owned businesses in Hamilton, including new start-ups by people from Gaza who now call the city home, was met with “incredible” support, organizers say.
This time next year, Joellah Fletcher plans to be prepping or taking her final exams to become a certified Red Seal carpenter.
East of the small village of Coutts, Alta., a stone’s throw from the border with the United States, Cindy Bosch’s day-to-day life looks much like it did a year ago.
For years, police have been on the front lines of mental health crisis calls in Toronto, but the city's police chief believes it's now time to rethink that approach.