A $4.1-billion surplus, the highest initial projection in the province's history;$1-billion injected into the Heritage Savings Trust Fund, bringing the total to $14.7-billion;
A $300-million corporate tax cut;
$735-million in new spending for health care, with the total outlay exceeding $10.3-billion;
$13.3-billion for roads, bridges, hospitals and other infrastructure over three years;
A $500-million fund for cancer prevention, treatment and research;
$72-million to finance courts and pay police, judges and jailhouse informants;
$32.4-billion in revenue, including $11.3-billion in oil and gas royalties and other energy income;
A $30-million reduction in health-care premiums for 140,000 low-income Albertans;
$77-million in individual tax savings;
$127-million for long-term health care over three years.
Yee haw! What's interesting to note is the coporate tax rate has dropped to 10% from 11.5%. I'm not sure what our tax rate is in Saskatchewan, but I believe it's somewhere in the 15-17% range.
I really think the province has to play ball when our next door neighbour's rate is so low. We have to match it or this province will continue to shrink, even right in the middle of a natural resource boom.
Also interesting were the job numbers for February which were released. They showed another month of job losses. This makes 6 consecutive months of job losses. Now, I don't want to get all technical or anything, but economists have a specific term for 6 months of losses.
It's called a recession. Is anyone else picking up on this?
No comments:
Post a Comment