EDMONTON -- Alberta's NDP government tabled its 2018-19 budget Thursday. Here is a look at some of the winner and losers:
WINNERS:
Parents -- Spending on K-12 education to rise to $8.4 billion from $7.8 billion and some of that boost to be used to reduce school fees. The government plans to spend $22 million more on affordable child-care spaces and $6 million more on school lunch programs.
Students -- Tuition to remain frozen for post-secondary students. Advanced education spending to jump to $6.1 billion from $5.5 billion.
The environmentally conscious@ -- The government plans to spend $5.3 billion over the next three years on climate initiatives that include everything from transit projects to home efficiency programs.
The disabled -- The Assured Income for the Severely Handicapped program is to get a boost of $62 million to $1.1 billion.
LOSERS:
Non-unionized civil servants@ -- A salary freeze for all non-unionized government workers is being extended to 2019. Overall compensation for all public-sector workers is budgeted at $26.6 billion, about half of all government spending.
Future taxpayers -- Debt is pegged $54.2 billion this year. The budget projects an $8.8-billion spending deficit in the year ahead. The budget is not expected to be balanced for another five years
