EDMONTON – Today’s Blue Ribbon panel report recommends cuts to wages and benefits for Alberta Union of Provincial Employees (AUPE) members, as well as ramming through legislation to make it happen.
“The Blue Ribbon Panel report demands rollbacks and cuts for working people while the government gives away billions to profitable corporations,” said Guy Smith, President of AUPE.
“That’s billions of lost revenues to benefit UCP friends."
The report states: “budgeting in Alberta is challenging, given the volatility on the revenue side.”
The report goes on to make clear how to address Alberta’s revenue shortfall, despite the UCP government trying to limit the scope of the report to exclude the financial elephant in the room.
The Panel found that Alberta’s revenues are between three and five times more volatile than other major provinces…steps need to be taken to increase stable sources of revenue and decrease the reliance on the volatile non-renewable resource revenues.
A recent analysis by economist and Canadians for Tax Fairness executive director Toby Sanger shows the UCP’s corporate tax giveaways will cost the government $1.76 billion annually.
Finance Minister Travis Toews admitted during the government’s fiscal update last week that corporate tax giveaways could reduce revenues “for years to come.”
“Why is this government making working Albertans suffer while throwing their money away at a financially dangerous scheme?” said Smith.
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For more information, please contact:
Alexander Delorme, AUPE communications officer: 780-264-9274