Alberta election: What promises has the NDP made?

Albertans are heading to the polls for a spring election on Tuesday, April 16.

As a way of helping you make an informed decision on election night, Global News is keeping track of all the promises made by the main parties vying for your vote.

Here is a closer look at the promises made by the Alberta NDP, and here is the party’s platform.

Health care

• Jan. 24: No implementation of a sales tax, payroll tax or health-care premiums
• Feb. 13: Commitment for “very major investment” at Red Deer hospital
• March 21: $170 million to add 2,000 new long-term beds for seniors over the next five years
• March 26: Spend an additional $90 million per year on health to further reduce surgery wait times
• March 29: Cover all prescription drug costs for middle- and low-income seniors. It’s expected the plan would cost an added $110 million a year, benefiting 80 per cent of seniors
• March 31: Launch a lawsuit against opioid medication manufacturers to recoup costs of the opioid crisis
• March 31: Pilot program for two storefront mental health clinics in Edmonton and Calgary

To see where the parties stand on health care, click here.

Education

• March 25: Expand $25-a-day daycare (13,000 new daycare spaces)
• March 28: Hire nearly 1,000 more teachers. Notley said an NDP would hire 600 teachers and another 400 would come through a $23-million increase in the province’s classroom improvement fund
• March 28: Spend $1.3 billion to build and upgrade another 70 schools
• March 28: Money to ensure every new and modernized school comes with a playground
• March 28: $5 million per year to replace 100 aging and outdated play areas

To see where the parties stand on education, click here.

Infrastructure

• March 22: Spend $1 billion over 10 years to protect Calgary from another major flood. Notley said the money would come out of the province’s Climate Leadership Plan, which includes a $30-per-tonne carbon tax
• March 27: Spend $1.4 billion to expand Alberta’s network of roads that handle large and oversized loads
• March 27: Build a secondary highway out of Fort McMurray to ease congestion and to give residents an alternative escape route in an emergency
• March 31: Create a 10-year strategy to bring high-speed internet to every Albertan and upgrade hockey arenas, swimming pools and recreation centres

To see where the parties stand on infrastructure, click here.

Spending, taxes and the economy

• Jan. 24: No implementation of a sales tax, payroll tax or health-care premiums
• March 20: Double oil and gas incentives from $3.6 billion up to $7 billion over the next decade
• March 22: Spend $1 billion over 10 years to protect Calgary from another major flood. Notley said the money would come out of the province’s Climate Leadership Plan, which includes a $30-per-tonne carbon tax
• April 1: Notley promised to balance the province’s budget by 2023-24

To see where the parties stand on spending, taxes and the economy, click here.

Carbon tax

• Alberta’s carbon levy is applied to diesel, gasoline, natural gas and propane. Details of the NDP’s climate leadership plan can be found here.
• March 31: $81 million for Alberta farmers from the carbon tax to transition to more energy efficient equipment

To see where the parties stand on the carbon tax, click here. 

Promises will be tracked throughout the election campaign, so be sure to check back here for an updated party platform.