Government program spending will now reach an estimated $60.1 billion in 2020/21, about $13,550 per Albertan.
alberta government spending
The Kenney government now faces a massive $24.2 billion budget deficit.
Alberta saw spending reductions of 20 per cent during the reforms of the 1990s.
Economic growth has been considerably weaker than expected.
In 2017, Canada was responsible for only 1.7 per cent of global carbon dioxide emissions.
Premier Ralph Klein’s government reduced program spending by 21.6 per cent over three years.
To eliminate the deficit, the government’s four-year plan will cut program spending by 1.6 per cent over four years.
Additional spending reductions would have created additional fiscal room for pro-growth tax reform.
Per-person spending in Alberta last year was 18.5 per cent higher than in next-door B.C.
The top combined personal income tax rate in Alberta is now 48 per cent compared to 39 per cent in 2014.