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From The Hip: Budget supports Albertans
Kevin Laliberte
for Smoky River Express
It wasn't the deficit-free budgets of days gone by through the Ralph Klein-led provincial government, but last week's budget did provide us with some positive news in other important areas.
Supporting Albertans’ quality of life was the key message in the provincial budget, which the Tory government hopes to balance by 2013-14.
“Albertans have been clear about their priorities,” said Premier Alison Redford. “They care about their health, their children’s education, their jobs, and their communities. Through Budget 2012, we are focusing on our province’s greatest resource, its people, by supporting programs that help Albertans raise their families, protect the vulnerable and assist in securing our economic future.”
With the Alberta economy gaining momentum and the province poised to return to surpluses, Redford says the government is firmly focused on the road ahead. And that road begins with investing in people and replenishing savings, while maintaining the lowest overall tax structure in Canada.
“Managing Alberta’s finances is about more than just the bottom line, it’s about ensuring government is supporting the outcomes Albertans want for themselves and their families over the long-term.”
A closer look at Budget 2012 reveals that approximately 75 per cent of the province’s budget is allocated to core programs such as health, education and human services.
This includes new strategic investments in health care, a strengthened child care subsidy program, and increases to monthly benefits for income supports clients and recipients of the Assured Income for the Severely Handicapped program.
In addition, Budget 2012 establishes three-year predictable funding for school boards, post-secondary institutions and municipalities to allow greater stability and improved planning.
Over the next three years, $16.5 billion will be allocated towards public infrastructure to support Albertans’ quality of life and help position the province for economic growth, including $5.6 billion to support municipal infrastructure.
And it's money that will certainly be needed given the results of Statistics Canada's 2011 Census this past week, which revealed significant growth in the West, especially right here in Alberta.
Alberta remains in a solid economic position, despite continued uncertainty in the global marketplace, with the province leading the nation in employment growth and wage levels, a strong demand for oil, high prices for agricultural products and gains in business investment. And that trend is expected to continue as economic growth is forecast to be 3.8 per cent in 2012, almost double the anticipated growth for the entire country, while resource revenues are projected to climb signifcantly.
Many critics argue the government's resource and economic outlook for the future is far too rosy to merit any real credibility. We'll likely find out who's right... sooner rather than later.
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