Albertans are invited to take part in provincial budget consultations over the next few weeks as the NDP government prepares to roll out its 2017 budget this spring.
Banff-Cochrane NDP MLA Cam Westhead said he strongly encourages constituents to take part in the discussion and send a copy of their suggestions to their MLA as well.
“To help us prepare the upcoming budget, we want to hear Albertans’ priorities and ideas on how to best meet their needs without increasing costs or affecting front-line services,” Westhead said. “Alberta continues to face challenging times as low global oil prices have had a profound impact on Alberta’s finances and we welcome feedback from the public as we face these challenges together.”
Minister of Finance Joe Ceci has been holding public meetings across the province over the last couple of weeks and will continue to do so throughout the month of January. Telephone townhalls with Premier Rachel Notley and Ceci will also take place for Southern Alberta Jan. 31.
“We saw some promising signs of economic stability leading into the New Year, but there is still a lot of work to do as we prepare for the next budget,” Ceci said in a press release. “These are still challenging economic times and I would like to hear from Albertans about their priorities and ideas on how to best meet their needs without increasing costs or affecting front-line services.”
According to the release, the province is projecting a deficit of $10.8 billion for 2016-17.
“Unlike the opposition parties that are calling for damaging cuts to heathcare, education and infrastructure, I would like to see the government maintain its promise for stable funding for our public services,” Westhead said. “The 2016-17 Alberta Jobs Plan budget helped create thousands of jobs and I would like to see a continuation in 2017-18 of the good process that has been made so far.”
Suggestions can be submitted online at alberta.ca/budget-consultations.aspx until Feb. 3.
