Dear Neighbours,
On October 24, we unveiled out first budget. Budget 2019 is focused on creating jobs and delivering public services and infrastructure to support private sector investment. It also protects the most vulnerable and helps get deficit spending under control.
The budget includes a modest cut to operating spending of 2.8% over four years, compared to the nearly 20% cuts Albertans saw in the 1990s. We are acting now to ensure we never have to deal with that scale of cutbacks again.
Getting Albertans Back to Work
To help encourage the private sector to create more jobs, we have taken the followings steps in Budget 2019. 1) Eliminated the carbon tax, 2) Reduced the corporate tax rate from 12% – 8% and 3) cut red tape. To support a modern and diverse workforce, we have invested over $10.7 billion in post-secondary grants, $10M to Women Building Futures, $2M to Skills Canada Alberta and $11.4M to CAREERS: The Next Generation. We are also providing more than $200M to support research through Alberta Innovates.
Making Life Better for Albertans
Budget 2019 will ensure the quality of public services, including health, safety and education. Budget 2019 includes $638M for Seniors & Housing, a $1.6B increase in spending for Children’s Services and 1 $2.9B increase for Community and Social Services. We are also providing $100M for mental health and additions. We have increased spending for Health and maintained funding for Education as promised.
We are also providing $20M over four years to combat mountain pine beetle, funding to hire 50 new prosecutors to reduce rural crime and provided $50M more for law enforcement over four years.
Our balanced plan protects the most vulnerable and provides a credible path back to balance so we can start paying down the debt. Please look for more details in my newsletter which has been sent to your mailbox.
