As Albertans get set to head to the polls on May 29, Global News has been tracking promises on the campaign trail. Here’s a look at some of the promises announced by the two major parties:
United Conservative Party
– Create a new tax bracket that would deliver about $760 more for everyone making more than $60,000 a year. Those making less would see a 20 per cent reduction to their provincial tax bill.
– Extend the pause on the provincial fuel tax, with savings of 13 cents per litre at the pump, until the end of 2023.
– Put into legislation a guarantee not to increase personal or business taxes without approval from Albertans in a referendum.
– Contribute $330 million toward a new National Hockey League arena project for the Calgary Flames.
– Follow a public health-care guarantee that no Albertan would have to pay for a doctor out of pocket.
– Introduce a 25 per cent discount for seniors on personal registry services, camping fees and medical driving exams.
– Bring in the proposed compassionate intervention act, allowing people with severe drug addiction to be forced into treatment.
– Ensure all Albertans have access to $10-a-day daycare by 2026.
– Implement the Safe Streets Action Plan to address crime concerns, including ankle-bracelet monitoring “for dangerous offenders out on bail” and deploying Sheriffs to monitor them, more patrol officers on Alberta streets, new anti-fentanyl trafficking teams and more funding for internet child exploitation units and gang suppression units.
Alberta New Democratic Party
– Ensure every Albertan has access to a family doctor, hire 4,000 more health workers and create 40 new family health clinics.
– More support for schools by hiring 4,000 new teachers, and 3,000 educational assistants and support staff.
– Create a new tax credit to spur investment in areas including cleantech and critical minerals processing.
– Bring back the Rapattack program of elite aerial wildfire fighters that was cancelled in 2019.
– Table the proposed eastern slopes protection act to ban coal mining projects in the Rocky Mountains and surrounding areas.
– Bring in a fully costed economic plan that predicts a $3.3-billion surplus over three years. Raise the corporate tax rate to 11 per cent from eight per cent to increase revenue.
– Cut taxes for small businesses.
– Freeze personal income taxes for next four years .
– Freeze university tuition.
– Promise not to introduce a sales tax.
– Freeze auto insurance premiums.
– Cut electricity rates and then work to bring in a cap on those rates.
-Cover the full cost of birth control, including oral contraceptives, copper and hormonal intrauterine devices, hormonal injections and the morning-after pill.
-Reconvene the legislature this summer to pass bills to lower costs for Albertans, close the door on the province quitting the Canada Pension Plan, repeal the UCP’s sovereignty act.
–With files from the Canadian Press.