The Alberta Party will not punish teachers and nurses

Yesterday, Jim Prentice announced in Red Deer that if elected the PCs would freeze public sector pay until the budget is balanced.

The Prentice Plan is clear. Hard-working, ordinary Albertans will be made to pay for decades of PC mismanagement.

The PCs have been in government for 44 years. During that time, the price of oil and natural gas has bounced around like a ping pong ball. During their time in power, the PCs have ignored the volatile nature of natural resource revenues and have made our government more dependent than ever on energy revenue.

“Teachers and nurses were too busy teaching children and caring for our loved ones to mismanage Alberta’s fortunes. The PCs messed this up all by themselves,” said Red Deer South Alberta Party candidate Serge Gingras.

“Each and every person working on the front lines of Alberta’s public services has made a fair deal with the government. None more so than teachers, who agreed to a 0% salary increase three years in a row,” said Alberta Party Leader Greg Clark.

“The Alberta Party would not balance the books on the backs of Alberta’s public sector. The Alberta Party would protect frontline services in health and education by balancing the budget over six years. We aren’t going to get out of this mess by punishing our teachers and nurses,” said Red Deer North Alberta Party candidate Krystal Kromm.

Read about the Alberta Party’s Economic Recovery Plan.

The real job creators are a strong middle class

Jim Prentice and the PCs will increase taxes on ordinary, hard-working Albertans, but will not make corporations pay their fair share.

"The PCs want Albertans to believe that if corporations had to pay their fair share, they would fire hard-working, ordinary Albertans," said Red Deer North Alberta Party candidate Krystal Kromm.

A strong and healthy economy is not built on tax breaks for an elite and wealthy few. The real job creators are a vast and vibrant middle class whose spending induces businesses to create jobs. 

"Alberta's small business tax is only the fourth lowest in Canada. The Alberta Party would gradually eliminate small business tax," said Red Deer South Alberta Party candidate Serge Gingras.

Why do the PCs ignore Peter
 Lougheed's wisdom?

Former Alberta Premier Peter Lougheed said in 2011, "the decline in natural-gas revenues has been dramatic and the degree to which we are dependent on oil revenues, it is time for us to consider an increase in corporate and personal tax."

The PCs didn’t raise corporate taxes, even though they spent $40,000 on a government survey that showed public support for it.

"The Alberta Party would increase revenues from corporate tax by increasing the tax rate by 1% which will still leave Alberta with the lowest corporate tax rate in Canada," said Alberta Party Leader Greg Clark.

Learn about the Alberta Party’s Better Way here.