'We've been asking for that since the 90s': Premier Smith's budget promise

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Alberta recently released its Budget 2023 plan, the first under the leadership of Premier Danielle Smith.

In that announcement, the United Conservative Party outlined its plan to limit annual spending increases to population growth and inflation while creating requirements for running a deficit and dictating how to set aside surplus cash.

Kris Sims from the Canadian Taxpayers Federation joined last night's episode of The Gunn Show for an in-depth look at the finer points of Smith's first budget.

Telling Sheila about how the province, outside of an “emergency,” will be required to return a balanced budget, Kris told Sheila: 

They've also said that debt repayment is going to be a huge dedication going forward. So any time they have surplus cash, so not including the physical objects we have in the ownership of government, 50% of surplus cash must go down onto the debt — plunk.

The other 50%, and this is what's pretty cool, either has to go into debt repayment or it has to go into the Alberta Heritage Savings Fund, which is basically our rainy day fund for the future, or it has to go to one-time spending that doesn't increase year-to-year spending.

That was a really big dedication. This is the third and key one, and it's super nerdy and we love it.

Future spending, any future spending increases, must be tied to inflation and population growth from the year previous. We've been asking for that since the 90s, like since before the Internet was a thing.

So to have Premier Smith promise that was really encouraging, all in all a very good budget.

To see more from Kris Sims and the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, be sure to visit their website.