• Debt interest payments set to rise to $2 billion per year by 2018-19
• Reducing program spending by 15 per cent would save $7.8 billion
• Alberta government increased spending, hired more government employees, created more programs and hiked taxes 

CALGARY, AB: The Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF) today released Lifting the Burden: A roadmap for balanced budgets and tax relief in Alberta, its 2017-18 pre-budget submission to the government of Alberta.

Lifting the Burden calls on the Alberta government to balance the budget by 2019-20, pay down the province’s $28 billion debt as soon as possible, scrap the carbon tax, reverse other tax hikes, and make meaningful reductions to spending that reflect the same reality faced by Alberta taxpayers. 

“Throughout the downturn, the Alberta government has increased spending, hired more government employees, created more government programs and dramatically increased taxes,” said CTF Alberta Director Paige MacPherson. “These choices made by the government are further burdening struggling taxpayers every day.”

Alberta taxpayers are currently paying over $1 billion annually in debt interest payments, and that number will double, reaching $2 billion by 2018-19. Alberta’s $28.4 billion debt is rolling in at a rate of $355.44 per second.

“The growing rate of the government’s debt interest payments is a major concern for taxpayers today who are impacted by credit downgrades, and taxpayers tomorrow who will be forced to pay off the debt,” said MacPherson. “Every dollar the government lights on fire to pay debt interest is a dollar not spent on frontline services or tax relief.”

The CTF’s submission calls for a 15 per cent program spending cut to save $7.8 billion and makes the following recommendations:

• Introduce a legislated spending cap limiting program spending increases to the rate of inflation and population growth
• Reverse the push toward government-subsidized daycare
• End all corporate welfare in the province
• Reduce the number of government employees by 10 per cent to save $2.56 billion
• Implement a 10 per cent salary reduction for government employees
• Cut MLA salaries by 10 per cent allowing pay to remain over $114,000
• Reform government employee pensions
• Reduce MLA and government employee mileage rates

“Trimming compensation for politicians and government employees will allow government to find substantial savings without touching frontline services,” said MacPherson.

The CTF’s pre-budget submission also calls on the government to:

• Ban partisan advertising
• Bring back the single-rate income tax
• Say no to new tax powers for cities, at least without citywide referenda
• Say no to taxpayer money for a pro sports arena in Calgary
• Budget for disaster and emergency relief according to reality

“Without question, tightening government’s belt involves making tough choices, but these are the same tough choices Alberta families and businesses have been making,” said MacPherson. “It’s time for government to demonstrate what they campaigned on – ‘leadership for what matters’ – and make those tough choices so they can lift the burden off Albertans.” 

Click here to download Lifting the Burden: http://www.taxpayer.com/media/2017-18-CTF-AB-Pre-Budget-Submission.pdf

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For more information:

Alberta Director Paige MacPherson
office: 403-475-6207, cell: 403-478-7184, email: [email protected]