Dear editor,
I wanted to sincerely thank Mr. Bruce Hinkley for his response to my letter to the Editor. However, it is clear that Mr. Hinkley and the NDP do not understand the meaning of the words fiscal prudence or financial responsibility. I am glad that when my family lands on hard financial times, the NDP is not in charge of my household budget. In the response to my letter, Mr. Hinkley parrots the talking points of his party, while the Calgary Sun (December 8, 2017) points out, “If we trace Alberta employment figures back to May 2015, when the Notley government took office and began implementing their policies… there has been an increase in government jobs by 12,400, a decrease of 73,100 full‐time private‐ sector jobs and an increase in self‐employed positions by 800.” Instead of creating an environment of investment in this province, the NDP government has decided to focus on raising taxes and regulations (“Oil and gas investors are avoiding Alberta, all because of government policies”, Financial Post, December 7, 2017), while propping up employment numbers by creating public sector jobs with a ballooning debt. How does this make any sense?
Please do not misunderstand me, the private sector requires the public sector and the public sector requires the private sector. There is a balance. However, growth in the private sector will lead to growth in the public sector and not the other way around. Simple economics make it clear that excessive public sector spending will lead us down the path of bankruptcy, as we have seen with Greece.
Statistics Canada clarifies that in Alberta “commercial spending remains weak as it dipped to a seven year low” and this province has experienced “nine consecutive quarterly declines” in non‐residential building investment (up slightly this quarter by 0.5 per cent). (Alberta Weekly Economic Review [Treasury Board and Finance], April 20, 2018)
I welcome the NDP to read my letter again as they refuse to answer my simple question I posed of how do we pay off $96 billion in debt. I reiterate that anyone can take out a $85 billion loan and repeat “We’re making lives better for Albertans.” It is off the backs of hard working Albertans that we will be crippled with almost $100 billion in debt in 2023 and annual interest payments of $3.7 billion!
This government does not care about our future and only lives to prop up their government with reckless policies that will ruin our province. The fiscal plan of the NDP seems to be predictably simple: borrow $85 billion, implement a Carbon Levy (taxed with GST), and then legislate a sales tax. I plead with Mr. Hinkley that he stop being proud of overspending and be proud when his party starts paying off our debt. Does no one see the irony when Justin Trudeau supports the NDP Carbon Levy of $5.4 billion in three years, sending an additional $280 million in GST to the federal government? (CBC News, April 18, 2017).
Fool us once, shame on you. Fool us twice, shame on us. Mark my words, Albertans will not be fooled twice the next time we go to the polls.
Sandra Kim
Wetaskiwin