Finance minister forgoes new shoes and selects cowboy boots to present Alberta’s next budget

Oct 23, 2019 | 2:04 PM

EDMONTON — It’s a decades old tradition for finance ministers to purchase a new pair of shoes to present a new budget. Spending money on new footwear tends to offer a foretaste of what is to come in the financial document.

However, Alberta Finance Minister Travis Toews, has let it be known that instead of wearing new shoes to present the Kenney government’s first budget on Thursday (Oct 24), he has chosen, to wear his cowboy boots. They are not new and Toews says they are symbolic.

“To me, these boots represent a part of our heritage and speak to the practical and resilient character of Albertans. We owe it to them to be thoughtful, measured and balanced in our approach to budgeting. I am committed to fighting for Albertans by ending overspending and by living within our means.”

According to Toews, this province needs to exercise budget restraint and put an end to multibillion-dollar deficits within four years, as promised.

“Tomorrow’s budget is an important day for all Albertans and I believe it’s not necessary to spend money on a new pair of shoes. This is not the time for wasteful spending on non-essentials. Budget 2019 is about learning to live within our means.”

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“Tomorrow, we will set a new direction for our province. I will table a common-sense budget that will put us back on track. It will be a responsible budget with initiatives designed to grow the economy, attract new investment and create jobs in our province. This government stands for Albertans. We stand for you.”

Toews does reiterate that the budget will not be similar to former premier Ralph Klein’s government of the 1990s, which saw cuts up to 20 per cent. He says the government will surgically attack spending but not at the expense of essential services.

The Opposition NDP claims the budget will see the tax burden shifted to municipalities, with the most vulnerable paying for budget austerity.

by Dori Modney with files from Alberta government