EDMONTON, AB: Throughout the spring legislative session, Wildrose consistently stood up for families against expensive new taxes and risky economic experiments under the NDP government, the Wildrose Official Opposition said Tuesday.
“Folks are worried about their jobs and whether they will be able to collect a pay cheque at the end of the month to help pay for their mortgages,” Wildrose Leader Brian Jean said. “Instead of sticking up for these families, the NDP government set Alberta down a path of further credit downgrades, more uncertainty for businesses across the province and an expensive new carbon tax to be paid for on the backs of Alberta families.”
During the legislative session, Wildrose passed a motion urging the federal government to end its proposed tanker moratorium on British Columbia’s north coast, a move that would essentially block the Northern Gateway pipeline from being built.
Before the budget was released, Wildrose Shadow Finance Minister Derek Fildebrandt released 10 common sense recommendations to save Albertans $2 billion alone this year, and put Alberta back on the path to balanced budgets without hurting front-line services.
Wildrose MLAs also put forward several legislative initiatives including new recall legislation, a motion preventing the government from making further minimum wage increases until a full economic impact study is completed and several constructive amendments to government legislation that would have restored a legislated debt-ceiling and protected Albertans from the full impact of the carbon tax. Each of these common sense ideas was unanimously voted down by the NDP MLAs.
“Outside of the Legislature, families are telling us they are nervous about the direction of the NDP government’s agenda and the impact it will have around their kitchen tables,” Wildrose House Leader Nathan Cooper said. “I’m proud of the work all Wildrose MLAs did to stand up for families and our province against a legislative agenda that Albertans remain very worried about.”