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Premier Notley Delivers State of the Province Address in Edmonton

Apr 15, 2016 | 2:16 PM

ALBERTA – Premier Rachel Notley took a shot at her P-C predecessors in a speech today selling her new budget to the Edmonton Chamber of Commerce.

Notley trumpeted the $35 billion in infrastructure projects now underway.

She says the projects are, quote, “real infrastructure projects where real cement will be poured and a real school or a real road will be built.”

Earlier this week Alberta’s auditor general delivered a scathing report on the failed school construction program undertaken by the Tories under former premiers Alison Redford and Jim Prentice.

Auditor general Merwan Saher reported the Tories promised more than 100 new schools to accommodate a rapidly growing population.

But he found that the administrative process was hopelessly confused, with no one in charge, no money set aside, leaving cabinet ministers to announce schools with no idea if they could be built as promised.

Notley also took time to sell her new carbon levy during the speech. She says the fee will be an incentive for both consumers and businesses to reduce their carbon footprint.

The fee takes effect on Jan. 1 and will raise the price of gasoline at the pumps along with heating bills.

The cost to the average household is expected to be $338 dollars in 2017 and $508 the year after that.

However, anyone making less than about $51,000 a year will be exempt, a figure that the government says means six out of 10 households will receive full rebates to cover the added costs.

The province expects to raise $274 million in this fiscal year and $1.7 billion the year after that, with the money used for green programs and initiatives.