Edmonton Journal ePaper

Vote United Conservative to move the province forward

DANIELLE SMITH Danielle Smith is the leader of the United Conservative Party of Alberta.

On Monday, Albertans will decide which party has the honour of leading our province over the critical years ahead. The United Conservative Party has proudly run on our record in office this campaign and introduced a positive, forward-looking plan for stability, growth and job creation.

The Alberta we inherited four years ago was hurting. Jobs and investment had fled the province in droves because of the NDP's reckless policies. Not only did they raise personal income taxes, they introduced two of the biggest tax hikes in our history: their carbon tax and 20 per cent hike to taxes on job creators.

Alberta families were struggling and wanted change for the better, and we provided it.

We restored the Alberta Advantage by lowering taxes, reducing red tape and focusing spending on the priorities of Albertans. Doing so was our top priority for a simple reason: a strong economy is the foundation for the quality services Albertans expect and deserve, including quality health care, education and supporting those who need it. Without one, you can't have the others on a sustainable basis.

Our plan is working, and our commitment this election is to stay the course. The UCP is the only party this election that has presented a responsible plan for spending, growth and stability.

We're the only party promising to provide timely, meaningful tax relief to Albertans at a time when they need it most to ensure people keep more of their paycheques to spend on what they need. Those earning over $60,000 will save up to $760 (over $1,500 per family), while everyone else will see a 20 per cent reduction to their provincial tax bill.

We're also offering targeted affordability measures, including a 25 per cent discount for seniors on camping and all registry services, such as vehicle and licence renewals. We're extending the Fuel Tax Holiday until the end of this year so Albertans can continue saving 13 cents per litre at the pump. For a family with a minivan, that means saving roughly $10 every time they fill up the tank.

We're also the only party promising to tackle the alarming rise of crime and violence we're seeing in cities such as Calgary and Edmonton. Rising crime levels are completely unacceptable, full stop. Albertans deserve to feel safe in their homes and communities — and their downtowns.

Through our Safe Streets Action Plan, a re-elected UCP will get started by adding 100 police officers to the streets of Edmonton and Calgary. We will crack down on sexual and violent offenders, address gang crime, keep illegal guns and drugs off Alberta streets, and provide more support to women and children facing abuse.

While remaining firm in our opposition to crime, the UCP will also continue building our cost-free, recovery-focused treatment model for those suffering from the terrible disease of addiction. Every Albertan deserves to realize their full potential, because the UCP doesn't give up on people.

This election is about your family and your future. Unlike my opponent, I haven't devolved into personal attacks this campaign, because what matters most is policy. And no policy proposal this election is more dangerous than the NDP's promise to hike the corporate income tax rate. This isn't speculation. This is a matter of record.

When the NDP raised the rate by 20 per cent in 2015, it triggered widespread job and investment losses. This time, the NDP is proposing to raise the rate by 38 per cent. According to Jack Mintz, an economist at the University of Calgary's School of Public Policy, this will put nearly 34,000 people out of work and lead to an investment loss of $1.1 billion. It has been panned by organizations like the Alberta Chambers of Commerce, an organization representing tens of thousands of Alberta employers, who noted the negative effects this tax hike would have on the government revenues that pay for public services. Furthermore, CLAC, which represents thousands of union tradespeople across Alberta, expressed concerns that the tax hike could result in the loss of jobs and workplaces. It's no exaggeration, therefore, to say the livelihoods and hopes of tens of thousands of Albertans and their families are at stake.

At its heart, this election is a choice between moving Alberta forward by building a brighter future or returning to the NDP's costly, failed policies. We've come too far in the past four years to go back.

Let's keep moving forward together by building the stronger, safer, more prosperous province Albertans deserve today, and that we want our children and grandchildren to inherit tomorrow.

The UCP is the right party, with the right plan, at the right time. With your support, we can begin writing the next exciting chapter of Alberta's story together.

OPINION

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2023-05-27T07:00:00.0000000Z

2023-05-27T07:00:00.0000000Z

https://edmontonjournal.pressreader.com/article/281779928500334

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