What to expect in 2020 Alberta budget
Posted Feb 27, 2020 4:30 am.
Last Updated Feb 27, 2020 12:55 pm.
EDMONTON (660 NEWS) — The Alberta government’s big week continues with the tabling of the 2020 budget Thursday afternoon in Edmonton.
This will be the United Conservative Party’s second budget since taking power in April 2019 and will maintain many of the principles outlined in that inaugural fiscal plan.
Before it hits the Legislature, 660 NEWS spoke with Finance Minister Travis Toews to get some ideas on what to expect.
“This budget will continue with that focus of job creation,” Toews said.
This also relates to Tuesday’s Speech from the Throne, titled Blueprint for Jobs, which sets the stage for the government’s goal to boost employment and improve economic conditions.
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Toews said the UCP feels confident about its first year in power and wants to stay the course moving ahead.
“We believe its government’s role to broadly ensure there’s a very competitive business environment,” he said. “That the jurisdiction is very competitive from a tax standpoint, that we have a very nimble, modernized regulatory environment.”
This will include a major focus on the energy sector, and Toews believes jobs and investment can be driven back into the sector through initiatives like cutting red tape and reducing business taxes.
“I’m confident that companies and businesses, individuals, will respond in the intermediate and long term and those measures will, in fact, attract additional investment into the province and create jobs.”
Toews said it is “essential” that there is a favourable regulatory environment, which will ideally increase certainty for prospective investors.
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Looking at other topics, Toews is keeping with a promise that has touted by the province before in terms of health care and education.
“We will not cut health care and education spending,” he said.
In Tuesday’s Throne Speech, the government said they will either maintain or increase spending to “record high levels”.
There’s still a lot of developments in those sectors, too, such as through a review of Alberta Health Services and a financial audit of the Calgary Board of Education.
With the province looking at introducing a new school curriculum as well, Toews is hopeful that some changes will actually give more clarity to educators.
“I believe (a new funding model) will provide more predictability and certainty for school boards so they can better plan. It’s also a model that ensures that maximum resources get into the classroom, which has been our commitment all along.”
And looking towards municipal funding, Toews reiterated that they set the stage for this in last year’s plan with no changes expected.
“Let’s face it, every level of government in Alberta needs to be doing more with less. We all need to be finding efficiencies, delivering more cost-effectively and better respecting Alberta taxpayer’s dollars. We believe municipalities need to be partners with us in that effort.”
