High debt, low credibility: NDP platform offers more of the same

“Albertans are worse off today than they were just four years ago as the result of NDP mismanagement, and the plan offered by an out-of-touch NDP simply fails to address the issues facing our province today,” said Jason Nixon, United Conservative candidate for Rimbey-Rocky Mountain House-Sundre. (File Photo: Jasopn Nixon/Facebook)

EDMONTON, AB (March 31, 2019) – The NDP platform unveiled today offers no credible plan to get Albertans back to work, grow the economy, and reign in out-of-control finances after four years of NDP mismanagement. It offers no plan to fight back in support of needed pipelines after four years of the NDP’s failed alliance with the Trudeau Liberal government in Ottawa. It keeps the job-killing carbon tax on the books.

“Albertans are worse off today than they were just four years ago as the result of NDP mismanagement, and the plan offered by an out-of-touch NDP simply fails to address the issues facing our province today,” said Jason Nixon, United Conservative candidate for Rimbey-Rocky Mountain House-Sundre. “Yesterday, United Conservatives put forward a credible and comprehensive plan to get Albertans back to work and address the challenges facing our province – but today’s NDP plan only offers more of the same from an out-of-touch NDP that’s out of ideas.”

“There are more unemployed Albertans today than when the NDP took office, and our province has the highest unemployment rate outside of the Atlantic. The NDP platform announced today offered no plan to turn around the economic situation facing our province today,” Nixon added.

The NDP platform promises a return to balance by 2023 – but Albertans wouldn’t be in this fiscal situation today if the NDP had been even remotely close to what they promised in their 2015 platform:

• NDP 2015 promise: Balanced budget in 2018.
• Reality today: Deficits in every year of NDP government
• NDP 2015 promise: $586 million surplus in 2019.
• Reality today: $7.9 billion deficit in 2019.
• NDP 2015 promise: increased corporate tax revenue
• Reality today: $8.8 billion less in corporate tax revenue than what the NDP promised
• NDP 2015 promise: No carbon tax
• Reality today: Carbon tax, already raised once, set to rise again by 67%
• NDP 2015 promise: “a government in Alberta that cares about jobs”
• Reality today: More Albertans unemployed today than 4 years ago.

As a result of the NDP’s mismanagement over 4 years, the province is on track for $95 billion in debt by 2023.

How much is $95 billion?

• 1,185,588 nurses
• 1,202,973 teachers
• 4,834 schools
•  72 hospitals