Alberta finance minister says no new taxes, for now
Doug Horner says tax hikes could come in future budgets
CBC News
Posted: Jan 21, 2013 3:52 PM MT
Last Updated: Jan 21, 2013 4:18 PM MT
Related
Related Stories
External Links
(Note:CBC does not endorse and is not responsible for the content of external links.)
Alberta Finance Minister Doug Horner told a crowd in Calgary Monday there will be no tax hikes in this year's budget to be delivered on March 7.
But the minister did not rule out the possibility of tax increases in the future.
Political scientist Lori Williams says the provincial government faces some difficult choices.
"This sort of deeply entrenched resistance to increasing taxes in Alberta has made it difficult to run things differently," said Williams.
She says the province will have to provide less in services or generate more money from some other source.
Finance Minister Doug Horner was in Calgary to discuss a report titled Dollars and Sense.
The report comes after extensive consultation with the public and says Albertans want a more diverse provincial economy that is less reliant on oil and gas revenues.
Most people also want more spending on infrastructure in the province, according to the report.
Borrowing money
Horner said Monday the government would likely borrow money to keep up with infrastructure projects.
Wildrose finance critic Rob Anderson says that is not the answer.
"Borrowing for politicians is heroin, once is never enough."
Anderson says politicians rely on borrowing when they don't have proper fiscal management in place.
Read the report:
Share Tools
Latest Edmonton News Headlines
- Remand centre sued by man who killed cellmate
- The man who was found not criminally responsible for stomping his cellmate to death at the Edmonton Remand Centre in 2011 is now suing centre staff. more »
- Abducted woman found
- Edmonton police are reporting that Rhianne Melin Larocque, who was abducted on Thursday morning, has been dropped off unharmed in the city's outskirts. more »
- Mall owner sues Slave Lake and its fire department
- A company is suing the province, the town of Slave Lake and its fire department for $3 million for damages caused by a 2011 wildfire. more »
- Mosquitoes arrive just in time for long weekend
- Just in time for the long weekend, the mosquitoes have arrived in Edmonton. more »
Must Watch
Top News Headlines
- Senator Pamela Wallin leaves Conservative caucus
- Senator Pamela Wallin says she is recusing herself from the Conservative caucus while her travel expense claims are under scrutiny. Wallin's departure comes one day after Senator Mike Duffy left the Tory caucus amid controversy over his expense claims.
more »
- Toronto Mayor Rob Ford denies crack cocaine allegations
- Toronto Mayor Rob Ford says allegations he was caught on tape smoking crack are "ridiculous," following reports that someone had been trying to sell a purported recording of such an event to U.S. and Canadian media outlets. more »
- North Korea fires 3 short-range missiles, South Korea says
- A South Korea official says North Korea has launched three short-range guided missiles into its eastern waters. more »
- 12 young leaders changing Canada in this week's Generation Why
- If the number of young entrepreneurs and innovators in Canada is any indication, the generation that came of age alongside the modern web is ready to rethink everything. Meet 12 young people our readers nominated as the most dedicated, impressive, creative and intelligent Canadians under the age of 30 they know. more »
- Should genetic testing for cancer be available to all Canadians?
- The revelation that Hollywood celebrity Angelina Jolie had a double mastectomy as a preventative measure against cancer stoked heated discussion this past week, but one prominent cancer researcher says it demonstrates the need to make genetic testing available to all Canadians. more »
- Abducted woman found
- Danielle Smith asks RCMP to investigate Sandhu
- Remand centre sued by man who killed cellmate
- Mall owner sues Slave Lake and its fire department
- Mosquitoes arrive just in time for long weekend
- Onoway, Alta., crash leaves 2 people dead
- Breton, Alta., area remains identified
- Edmonton MLA leaves caucus after CBC News investigation
- Edmonton nursing students sue private college

