EDMONTON, AB – With the price of oil heading to $70 a barrel, Premier Prentice needs to be crystal clear with Albertans if he’s planning to raise taxes to meet his budget shortfall, the Wildrose Official Opposition said today.
After asking pointed questions to the Premier, Prentice failed to rule out levelling tax increases on Albertans, saying the government will deal with the specifics by the time the next budget is presented.
“The new management is starting to look a lot like the old management; floating trial balloons to make Albertans pay more taxes, while their government can’t balance the budget and fails to deliver on promises to improve core government services,” Wildrose Leader Danielle Smith said. “Albertans don’t want new taxes, they want a new generation of leaders committed to putting an end to wasteful spending, and presenting a forward-looking plan to balance the budget.”
Smith noted Alberta’s current income and corporate tax structure brings in more revenue per capita than any other province in Canada.
Wildrose Finance Critic Rob Anderson said the PCs have no mandate to raise taxes.
“If the PCs want to raise taxes, then they need to campaign on it and get a mandate from Albertans,” Anderson said. “Instead of looking to dig into people’s pocket books, it’s time to get serious about controlling spending.”