• Alberta could have saved hundreds of billions with spending rules

LETHBRIDGE, AB: The Canadian Taxpayers Federation is calling on the Alberta government to stick to its promise of balanced budgets, spending restraint and tax cuts after CTF analysis shows the province could have saved hundreds of billions of dollars with modest spending restraint.

“Premier Danielle Smith is right to commit to balanced budgets and spending restraint, because if Alberta had done this a generation ago, we’d have hundreds of billion of dollars in the bank by now,” said Kris Sims, CTF Alberta Director. “Taxpayers need a balanced budget, spending restraint and lower income taxes in this upcoming budget.”

The CTF calculated if the Alberta government had limited spending increases to the rate of inflation and population growth a generation ago, the province would have saved an estimated $300 billion by now. Those calculations can be found in the CTF’s 2024 pre-budget report.

Last year, the Smith government promised to balance the budget, use half of the surplus to pay down the debt and keep spending increases restrained to the rate of population and inflation growth.

The CTF has been calling for such spending restraint rules since the mid 1990s.

“While special interest groups and government unions are yelling at the government to spend more today, Smith must remember why saving money matters for tomorrow,” said Sims.

The CTF is urging the Alberta government to cut spending by reducing corporate welfare and to show leadership from the top by reducing MLA pay in line with levels seen in neighbouring British Columbia.  

The CTF is also calling on the government to shield Albertans from a provincial carbon tax through an expansion of the Taxpayer Protection Act and keep its election promise to lower the provincial income tax rate.

The full CTF pre-budget report can be viewed HERE.