Canadian Taxpayer’s Federation wants Jim to “be like Ralph”
Posted Feb 3, 2015 2:00 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Holding a large picture of former premier Ralph Klein in front of the McDougall Centre, the Prairies Director for the Canadian Taxpayer’s Federation had a message for Premier Jim Prentice, “be more like Ralph.”
The CTF’s Colin Craig is urging Albertans today to send a picture of Klein to Prentice’s office, in order to remind him that we shouldn’t be racking up debt or creating new taxes.
“For a long time, the Canadian Taxpayer’s Federation has cautioned the government that it was spending too much, spending too much in the good times and it wasn’t doing enough to save and keep spending under control,” said Craig. “And low and behold, now the government is looking at a deficit.”
According to Craig, the government is spending 21 per cent more per person than the government of British Columbia.
“When Premier Klein was in office, he didn’t take the easy way out and increase taxes, he rolled up his sleeves and got spending under control.”
A new website has been launched by the CTF, where Albertans can print off a picture of Ralph Klein, fill in their info and then email, mail or fax it to the premier’s office.
“There’s a lot of room there to prune things back and keep it under control,” said Craig. “They need to be making tough decision too in terms of capital projects. We recently heard they would be spending millions of dollars fixing up a golf course, well, instead, they should be selling it and getting out of the business altogether.”
“Every department should be looking at ways to reduce spending, they should focus first and foremost on the services that the government expects,” he said. “Things like corporate welfare should be completely cut and eliminated.”
He also said the premier should be opening contracts with the public sector workers, in hopes of finding ways to get spending under control.
According to Craig, had the Alberta government merely closed the spending gap with B.C., there would be no need to talk about raising taxes or running a deficit.”
