Balancing the Budget

Ted shines in this article. We have the principal benefit from Mr. Lougheed’s reign, lets use the damn thing – the “notwithstanding clause” – and get the public service under control.

So now is the time for Alberta to use the power that Lougheed won for us. Or more narrowly, it is time for Prentice to make it clear that his government is willing to use the judicial override clause, if Alberta’s public sector unions won’t agree to voluntarily make some salary concessions to help alleviate our deficit/debt death spiral.

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2 thoughts on “Balancing the Budget

  1. Rob Taylor

    Given that Alberta’s debt-to-GDP ratio is among the continent’s most favourable, i find “deficit/debt death spiral” more than a little hyperbolic. Having said, i’d agree that both revenue increases and spending reductions should be carefully addressed. Given that, it remains important to build capital for the province’s future by means of adding productive infrastructure. In other words, as i see it, Premier Prentice is pretty much on the right track with the economy. I am concerned that not enough emphasis will be placed on things urban.

    1. Andy Crooks

      The current Alberta fiscal situation is more problematic than that faced by Klein and Dinning. Structurally, the deficit is different. It is created and nurtured by serial concessions to public service unions. And the debt that we are facing as a province is as large as that faced by Klein or Dinning, but the effects is masked by artificially low interest rates which will not be sustained. So is my comment hyperbolic? Absolutely not. In fact, my sense of unease and panic may be considered by many to be overly optimistic.

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