Hugh MacDonald
The Edmonton-Goldbar MLA believes the provincial budget can be balanced without having to make any significant cuts.
Hugh MacDonald said the Province’s revenue stream isn’t the problem, it’s how the government is managing and spending it.
“There’s lots of ways that we can control our spending without cutting back on public education, public health care and other needed government programs,” he said.
His priority for the party will be to rebuild its constituency associations across the province to compete in the next election.
MacDonald would also cut the size of cabinet to 16 or 17 positions, from 24. As well, he said the provincial capital project list could also be extended over time.
He said the Province still has close to $11 billion in the provincial stability fund, and while he doesn’t suggest spending it all, he said it can help the province through rough economic times.
MacDonald wants to ensure that bitumen from the oil sands is upgraded in Alberta, and not sent out of the country, losing value and jobs in the process.
“Upgrade as many barrels of bitumen here as possible,” he said.
He also supports building a pipeline to the Pacific coast to be able to export oil to Asian countries.
MacDonald wants to move away from the single health board and establish five health regions across the province.
“I think as a tax payer you have every right to know where your health dollars are being spent in this province and right now you don’t because you see one global amount in the department’s budget,” he said.
MacDonald said he would cancel the municipal sustainability initiative, which provides grants to municipalities. In its place, he proposes letting municipalities keep the education portion of property taxes.
”It’s a stable, predictable source of funding for each and every municipality and we would fund public education completely out of the general revenue fund,” he said.
