Province hopes to pass budget this week with increased health budget

Mar 16, 2020 | 11:52 AM

EDMONTON, AB – The Government of Alberta is taking steps to expedite the passing of budget legislation.

Government House Leader Jason Nixon says they hope to bolster the response to the COVID-19 pandemic more quickly.

“We are living in unprecedented times. The situation around the COVID-19 pandemic is accelerating and ever-changing. We need to ensure funding is available for the front-line health-care workers whose presence will be critical in treating Albertans who become seriously ill as we also call on all Albertans to reduce transmission and help flatten the curve of the virus’s progression, to spread those cases and the burden on the health system over a longer time. In addition, we need to be certain that other essential government services are fully funded going forward in order to ensure these services are available to Albertans during this challenging time.”

The province will give notice to several motions that will expedite the passing of Budget 2020 Bills 5 and 6 and allow for evening sittings to occur to speed up the process.

According to Nixon, this could mean the provincial budget could be passed by the end of Tuesday, compressing weeks worth of estimates into one afternoon.

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The UCP is expected to add an additional $500-million to the health budget beyond what was already planned to increase COVID-19 responses.

The increased budget, as announced by Premier Jason Kenney on Sunday, would ensure front-line health professionals have the tools they need for testing, surveillance, and treatment of patients.

Nixon says the goal is to keep the legislature open and ensure stable funding to its various branches in the coming months.

by David Opinko