Alberta.

AuthorRempel, Jody
PositionLegislative Reports

1st Session of the 29th Legislature--continued

The 1st session of the 29th Legislature resumed on October 26, 2015. In the first week the Government's Bill 4, An Act to Implement Various Tax Measures and to Enact the Fiscal Planning and Transparency Act and a Private Member's Public Bill, Bill 203, Election (Restrictions on Government Advertising) Amendment Act, 2015, sponsored by Rick Strankman, MLA (Drumheller-Stettler) received First Reading. Bill 4 would repeal the Fiscal Management Act and create legislative requirements for the contents and coordination of the Government's financial reporting. It would also set limits on the amount of debt the Government is permitted to incur and provides how amounts in various funds may be allocated. Bill 203 seeks to legislate limits on government advertising during election campaign periods to ensure government resources are not used to support partisan interests.

2015-2016 Budget

On October 27, 2015, President of Treasury Board and Minister of Finance Joe Ceci, MLA (Calgary-Fort) released the new government's first budget. Delayed for several months by the spring provincial election the 2015-2016 budget confirms the progressive income tax model and higher corporate taxes brought in on July 1, 2015, and that Alberta will continue to have no provincial sales tax. The budget anticipates a $6.1-billion deficit by the end of the fiscal year, which will require the Government of Alberta to borrow to cover its operational expenses for the first time in over two decades. The Government will increase infrastructure spending throughout the province with a focus on projects related to sustainable housing, flood mitigation, roads and bridges, education and healthcare facilities. Other features of the budget include increased taxes on alcohol, tobacco and locomotive fuel and a two-year freeze on post-secondary tuition. A variety of services will see significant funding increases including: public home care and long-term care, childcare programs, women's shelters, a targeted school nutrition program and other education initiatives.

Changes to the Standing Orders

Government Motion 19 (GM 19), which proposed significant changes to the Standing Orders, was passed on November 5, 2015. The previous Standing Orders noted that each Ministry was scheduled for three hours of main estimates consideration with the exception of Executive Council, which received two hours of consideration. Under the amended Standing Orders...

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