Brian Jean: ‘Fiscal discipline’ needed to deal with provincial debt

Opposition Leader Brian Jean speaks in a televised address aired Tuesday, April 12.

Days after Premier Rachel Notley addressed Albertans in a province-wide broadcast, Opposition and Wildrose Leader Brian Jean issued a rebuttal in a broadcast of his own.

In his address, Jean focused mainly on addressing the provincial debt, echoing statements he made following Notley’s address, which aired Thursday.

At the start, Jean talked about the impact the oil slump has had on the province.

“Through a series of tax increases and increased regulations, Alberta’s competitive edge on every front and across almost all industries is slipping,” Jean said.

“Around kitchen tables, families have less money in their wallets, and are now worried about a $3 billion carbon tax that they cannot afford.”

Jean went on to talk about changes in Ottawa.

“We have a government that simply does not understand the issues we face,” Jean said, referring to “red tape” on pipelines, tanker bans on the west coast, and refers to a federal decision to leave Edmonton and area out of changes to EI benefits.

Jean then turned his focus to the province’s financial situation.

“After making sacrifices and proudly earning our status as a debt-free province a decade ago…in a few short years Albertans will face $50 billion of debt,” Jean said, saying interest payments will “soon be the largest expense in government after health, education and social services”.

Jean said growing interest payments would eventually cut into funding for health and education.

The Opposition Leader said spending and borrowing are not options to deal with the shortfall, neither is raising taxes. Jean said the province needs “fiscal discipline” to deal with the debt.

Jean said the government needs to set a “firm timeline to get back to balanced budgets”.

The Wildrose Leader referred to actions of previous Alberta governments to deal with shortfalls – saying the price of oil in the 1990s was close to the same as it is currently.

“Instead of risking billions of tax dollars in new government ventures, our government set out a course of policies that led to one of the most prosperous decades in Alberta’s history,” Jean said. “This is the vision the Wildrose has for our province.”

Jean referred to a plan the opposition has come up with, the “Wildrose 12-point jobs action plan” that would restore “the Alberta Advantage, getting Albertans back to work and providing stability for all sectors of our economy.” Jean said the small business tax would be reduced, and the carbon tax stopped.

Jean’s televised rebuttal was aired in response to Premier Notley’s address, which aired Thursday.

In the premier’s 15 minute address, Notley mainly focused on the province’s plan to deal with the oil price slump – saying jobs and diversifying Alberta’s energy industry.

The province said Notley’s address cost taxpayers $85,000 – the cost of Jean’s address will also be covered by taxpayers.