Now Alberta taxpayers know how our Progressive Conservative government will counter a multibillion dollar deficit caused by setting budgets based on a commodity like oil that features wildly fluctuating values – they get to do it themselves.
Yes, from living and dying, to driving licences and driving fines, being healthy and indulging in the ‘sins’ of smoking and drinking, Albertans will have to ante up to cover up for the PC party’s decades of linking budgets inextricably to the price of oil. Income taxes are going up, while government cuts were not embraced. Public sector union cuts were honoured, but future discussions are sure to be difficult.
In short, virtually every Alberta taxpayer will be hit in some way by increases as part of the Jim Prentice government’s new budget released on March 26.
The new tax increases are just part of the PC government’s 10-year plan to bail itself out of deficits based on the “roller coaster” of oil-based budgets. Finally, it appears, the PCs have recognized that basing budgets on non-renewable resources may not be the way to go.
We can’t wait to see what else is in store. No wonder a recent poll shows the PCs and Wildrose on a nearly even footing.
This poll, possibly, will put a damper on Prentice’s need to call for an election before the already legislated 2016 vote.
<b>Bye bye, Danielle Smith</b>
Our congratulations go to citizens in the provincial Highwood riding for not supporting Danielle Smith as their PC candidate of choice.
Just three months after bailing on her Wildrose supporters as party leader and MLA to cross the floor of the provincial legislature to join Prentice’s PCs – she’s out, replaced by Okotoks town councillor Carrie Fischer.
In crossing the floor and towing along eight other Wildrose incumbents, Smith et al effectively crushed opposition to the Prentice PCs. The deal to cross the floor was no doubt effective as a PC powerplay, but disastrous for Smith’s own political future, as it turns out. Along with Smith, it turns out floor crossers Rod Fox and Gary Bikman suffered the same fate.
This space is not often used to focus on other provincial or federal ridings, but in the case of Smith, who we assume had a PC cabinet seat already measured for her as part of a deal to cross the floor and be re-elected, there is a lesson to be learned.
That lesson is that, even in Alberta, where voters shun change politically, they can only be pushed so far.
At the time of the floor crossing we commented on how fundamentally wrong a floor crossing is, regardless of party, regardless of whether it happened in a provincial or federal situation. A floor crossing should generate an immediate byelection, to allow voters to again show support for the candidate of their choice – not one who will jump parties for their own advantage.
In the case of Smith and her cronies, it shouldn’t have been assumed that Wildrose voters would be happy with any right-wing conservative candidate; clearly, at least in Highwood, voters supported Wildrose ideals, not just any conservative platform.
Putting her own power ambitions ahead her supporters’ interests means Smith can now watch the provincial political situation from the comfort of her own chair, in her own living room, rather than from a provincial seat in the legislature.
Let’s hope this lesson is learned by political hopefuls and incumbents, province-wide.
