Lethbridge-West MLA Rob Miyashiro was not pleased with the UCP's 2025 provincial budget. (Photo: Lethbridge News Now)

By David Opinko

“Cuts, chaos and corruption” in Alberta budget, says MLA Miyashiro

Mar 3, 2025 | 2:51 PM

A local politician believes the new provincial budget does little to help everyday Albertans.

Lethbridge-West MLA Rob Miyashiro says Premier Danielle Smith and the governing United Conservative Party (UCP) seem to have different priorities than most of her constituents.

“Albertans want good jobs and we want help with the increased cost of living. We also want investments into public healthcare, public education and public safety, but with billions in cuts, the UCP’s budget fails to meet the needs of all Albertans,” says Miyashiro.

The main issue, he states, is that the budget does not keep up with inflation plus population growth. Failing to do that, he says, is the same thing as cutting funding.

Miyashiro reports that inflation plus population growth in 2024 was 7.3 per cent, and is expected to be 5.1 per cent in 2025. The overall increase in spending in Budget 2025 is estimated to be approximately 3.6 per cent.

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With the consideration of inflation plus population growth, the member of the Alberta NDP says healthcare received a series of budget cuts across several areas.

Miyashiro also pointed to Assured Income for the Severely Handicapped (AISH), a benefit program that helps people with disabilities who are unable to work, or who can only work on a part-time basis. He says the government is cutting funding to the AISH program by approximately $12 million.

According to Miyashiro, there were several areas in which the UCP re-announced funding for initiatives that had already been announced. One example of this is $5 million to build a catheterization lab at Chinook Regional Hospital.

“[It] was announced in 2019 by the NDP government. The UCP has kicked it down the can – it’s the third budget that they’ve said they’re going to do something about it,” says Miyashiro. “This was an election issue twice and they’ve never followed through on it.”

It was the same deal for the twinning of Highway 3 between Taber and Burdett. The 2025 budget allocates $106 million over two years to the project. It was originally announced in 2020 by then-premier Jason Kenney with a completion date of 2023. Construction began in spring 2024.

READ MORE: Government announces Highway 3 twinning between Taber and Burdett (2020 story)

Although Miyashiro was pleased to see announcements for new school construction and wastewater treatment upgrades, he says a lack of specific details is frustrating.

The government plans to build three schools in the south region, but Miyashiro says Lethbridge itself needs at least two new schools.

As for upgrades to Lethbridge’s water and wastewater treatment plant, he says that is an “immediate need.” However, the $520 million in provincial funding announced is for “small and mid-sized municipalities” with no clear indication of how much money, if any, Lethbridge would receive.

Lethbridge Mayor Blaine Hyggen struck a more optimistic tone in his budget reaction interview, praising a series of local investments. They include:

• $39 million for the University of Lethbridge’s Rural Medical Teaching School
• $5 million over two years to enhance ICU capacity in both Lethbridge and Medicine Hat
• $5 million to create a catheterization lab at Chinook Regional Hospital
• $22 million over three years for a renal dialysis centre at Chinook Regional Hospital
• $106 million over two years to twin Highway 3 between Taber and Burdett
• Funding for the first stage of realignment and connection of Highways 2 and 3 near Fort Macleod to support the expansion of trade corridors
• $25 million over two years for equipment and border patrol facilities under the new Alberta border security initiative
• $1 million to plan for the replacement of the Cardston Health Centre
• Funding for the development and expansion of the Blood Tribe Police Service

More details on the 2025 provincial budget are in the link below.

READ MORE: Alberta runs budget deficit while cutting $1.2B in taxes amid U.S. tariff threat

READ MORE: Lethbridge mayor pleased with local investments in new Alberta budget