Highlights from Alberta budget 2020

Alberta’s United Conservative government tabled its budget 2020-21 Thursday. Here are some of the highlights:

A $6.8 billion deficit on revenues of $50 billion.

The budget deficit for 2019-20 year is $7.5 billion, less than the $8.7 billion originally forecast.

Funding is maintained for core services, with $8.2 billion for kindergarten to Grade 12 school education and $20.6 billion for health.

Alberta is to spend $26.7 billion on public sector compensation, with full-time equivalent jobs expected to drop by 1,436 mainly through attrition.

2:30 Alberta budget 2020: Emphasis on jobs

The capital plan will spend $19.3 billion over three years, maintaining commitments on projects including the Calgary Cancer Centre, renovating the Peter Lougheed Centre in Calgary and funding for light rail transit projects in Edmonton and Calgary.

1:49 Thursday’s budget from Alberta UCP will include new ‘blueprint for jobs’

A “New Jobs Blueprint” promises $200 billion for growth initiatives new areas like high-tech, artificial intelligence, aviation and financial services.

Debt is to be $68 billion this year, $77 billion by end of March 2021.

0:19 Notley says budget deficit ‘does not inspire confidence’