MLA Phillips calls Alberta budget “fraudulent” and designed to buy votes

Phillips claims that the government’s economic forecasts do not align with any private sector analyses.

The province says in the 2023-26 Fiscal Plan that real GDP is forecast to rise by an average of three per cent in 2023 and 2024. The Conference Board of Canada, on the other hand, is projecting 2.1 per cent growth in 2023 and 2.8 per cent in 2024.

Phillips says Alberta is set up for “the most expensive summer ever” as she claims that several of the province’s affordability measures are set to end shortly after the provincial election this spring.

A statement from Affordability and Utilities Minister Matt Jones, however, says many of the affordability programs will continue beyond June 2023.

“Alberta’s Fuel Tax Relief and Natural Gas Price Protection programs have been made permanent, and will continue to save Albertans money and ensure they benefit from their owned resource[s],” says Jones. “Core supports programs including AISH, Income Support, the Alberta Seniors Benefit, and the Alberta Child and Family benefit have been indexed, and will continue to increase year over year. Income taxes have also been indexed, providing retroactive and ongoing tax relief to Albertans. Investments to provide affordable childcare, reductions to student loan interest, and caps on future tuition increases will also provide ongoing cost of living support.”

Phillips says the provincial budget does little for Lethbridge specifically.

The MLA states that there are several initiatives that have long since been identified as priorities for Lethbridge that did not receive funding, such as a catheterization lab and an expanded cardiac care unit at Chinook Regional Hospital, upgrades to the city’s water and wastewater treatment plant, and additional efforts to attract and retain healthcare workers.

Although the budget includes $11 million for an expansion of renal dialysis services at the hospital, Phillips says that had “always been planned.”

She called out her UCP counterpart in Lethbridge-East, Nathan Neudorf.

“It’s actually astonishing that the MLA for Lethbridge-East, who’s also the infrastructure minister, has delivered absolutely nothing for our city, absolutely nothing,” says Phillips. “We have a housing and homelessness crisis and a downtown business crisis in Lethbridge. We do not see any new investments in housing.”

Neudorf, on the other hand, says the budget hits on all of the top asks from the City of Lethbridge, including planning and constructing new schools, as well as healthcare, mental health and addictions, and Highway 3 twinning.

Overall, he says he believes that the budget is “punching above its weight class.” LNN will have more budget reactions from Neudorf on Thursday, March 2, 2023.

Phillips says the provincial budget would have looked a lot different if the Alberta NDP had been in power.

“What we would’ve seen is a stable, predictable plan to continue to invest in healthcare, so we do not see situations like we do in Lethbridge, where no one can have access – if you lost your family doctor, you cannot find another one,” says Phillips.

Phillips continues, “We would’ve seen a thoughtful plan for the surplus, not these just wildly-irresponsible vote-buying schemes and absolutely no plan for the surge in oil royalties.”

The new provincial budget was released approximately three months before the next provincial election, which is scheduled to be held on May 29, 2023.

by David Opinko

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MLA Phillips calls Alberta budget “fraudulent” and designed to buy votes

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