ALBERTANS LEFT FURTHER BEHIND BY UCP AFTER SPRING SESSION

EDMONTON -- After the spring sitting of the Legislature, Albertans have been left even further behind by Jason Kenney and his UCP government. The UCP rammed through a budget full of cuts and broken promises, doubled down on their failed plan to give billions of dollars to profitable corporations, opened the door to American-style health care, and re-wrote labour laws that will take money away from hard working Albertans. 

“Jason Kenney and the UCP used the cover of the pandemic to ram through their extreme agenda of American-style health care and American-style labour laws, while handing over more than $4.7 billion to profitable corporations,” said NDP Leader Rachel Notley. “Everyday Albertans are being left behind by this government while CEOs and shareholders get handouts.”

The spring session began with the UCP introducing a budget that continued the UCP’s attack on frontline services while forcing Albertans to pay more in fees, premiums, and taxes, while doing nothing to recover the 50,000 jobs lost under the UCP since introducing their $4.7 billion corporate handout. Despite the failure of the policy, Kenney’s UCP government accelerated the handout by cutting the corporate tax rate to eight per cent a year and a half sooner than initially planned. 

The UCP also passed legislation that opens the door for profit-centred American-style health care through the delivery of additional privately delivered health care, and they gave sweeping powers to employers to deduct employee pay, change their hours, deny overtime, and delay paying them out if they’re laid off or fired. 

As Notley looks ahead to the coming months, she says she’s worried about kids going back to school. The UCP have released their school reopening plan, but have failed to provide any additional funding or support to schools to implement additional safety precautions. 

“We’ve heard from thousands of Albertans who are deeply concerned about sending their kids back to school under the UCP’s plan. This includes parents, teachers, and pediatricians. But all of these concerns have been ignored by Jason Kenney,” said Notley. 

Notley also has concerns about what’s to come in the next legislative session and budget as Jason Kenney has repeatedly warned of plans for a “fiscal reckoning” coming on top of the cuts and additional fees and taxes already placed on Albertans. 

“Everyday Albertans are already paying more under this UCP government, but getting less in return. We’ve seen cuts to services, jobs, and programs to grow and diversify our economy,” said Notley. 

“Jason Kenney and the UCP should have used the spring session to implement a real plan, with bold, creative solutions to get people back to work and set Alberta’s economy up for a strong recovery now - one that builds our province up by investing in our people,” said Notley. “Instead, they’re taking us into first place in a race to the bottom.”