Albertans will see the wraps come off a new $3-billion carbon tax, job creation plan and five-year infrastructure building program when the NDP government unveils its 2016 budget today.
Although the province faces a $10.4-billion deficit, the largest in Alberta history, Finance Minister Joe Ceci said the government will continue to diversify the economy and provide health, education and social services, this in the wake of thousands of job losses caused when oil prices bottomed out to $30.00 U.S. a barrel, before rebounding slightly.
Ceci said the government will unveil a "suite" of programs to create jobs and retrain people who lost their jobs.
The government will reveal more details about a five-year, $34.5-million infrastructure plan that was announced in last October's budget. Infrastructure Minister Brian Mason said the long-awaited project sunshine list will "finally see dawn" on Thursday.
Premier Rachel Notley said last week that royalties from oil and gas projects will drop by 90% in 2016. Despite that, the government has no plans to introduce new taxes and has ruled out a provincial sales tax.
Ceci raised eyebrows in the October budget when he revealed the government planned to borrow for operating expenses. The budget will reveal how the government plans to get back to balanced budgets.
The government may also reveal the first part of a review into Alberta's 300 agencies, boards and commissions, which critics say are filled with allies of the former Progressive Conservative government.
Ceci has indicated he wants salaries of people who sit on those boards to be in line with pay for similar positions in the public service.
