Some people -- including Wildrose Party Leader Brian Jean -- have expressed concern the provincial government may call an early election to take advantage of the fact the Progressive Conservatives and Wildrose could split the vote, giving the NDP a chance to win again.
Olds-Didsbury-Three Hills MLA and Wildrose Party house leader Nathan Cooper doubts that will happen, but he agrees Thursday's budget, with lots of spending, could be a good launching pad for the government if it did decide to do so.
Jean raised concern about a possible early trip to the polls during a speech at the Olds Legion late last month.
The budget, tabled in the legislature, calls for a $10.4-billion deficit. Cooper says as a result, by 2019-20 - around the time the next election is expected to be held -- the province's total debt will be about $71 billion.
Finance Minister Joe Ceci predicts the debt will be eliminated, but not until 2024.
"Well certainly it's a big-spending budget and that's often what we see prior to an election," Cooper told the Albertan. "(However), I don't anticipate an early election. I know that some people are talking about that. I think that's unlikely.
"I think given the current political climate and how unpopular the premier is, as well as the uncertainty in the economy and the political price they would pay for calling an early election, I do not think it is likely."
He conceded there are lots of goodies in the budget to appeal to voters - especially parents of school-aged children.
The government plans to spend $8.2 billion on education in 2017-18, an increase from $7.9 billion during the previous year. New schools are expected to be announced.
The government also confirmed earlier announcements that it plans to cut school fees by 25 per cent. It plans to spend up to $54 million throughout Alberta to eliminate mandatory instructional fees.
The government also confirmed it plans to cut transportation fees for students who ride the bus more than 2.4 kilometres to school.
A tuition freeze for students in post-secondary institutions is extended, good news for students attending Olds College.
The government's $4.5-billion health infrastructure plan includes a new hospital in Edmonton and a 200-bed continuing-care facility in Calgary.
Cooper said the cut in school fees is a welcome move, but the government is not the only party that called for that.
"This is something that Wildrose has campaigned for for quite some time," he said. We think that it's a positive step in the right direction when it comes to assisting families."
Cooper also has concerns about the tuition freeze, although he can see how that could appeal to voters - especially young college-aged ones.
"The tuition freeze has both ups and downs," Cooper said. "It puts some pressures on the institution and their cost increases - difficult to increase revenue, but certainly it's good for students."
"At the end of the day you know, government spending is about priorities. And reducing school fees as a priority makes sense; reducing spending on health care makes sense. But that also implies that every single dollar spent on health care is a good dollar," Cooper said.
"We need to be making sure that every dollar we spend is wise and we're reducing waste - even in areas like health care. So just because spending is up, doesn't mean that it's good."
"Well certainly it's a big-spending budget and that's often what we see prior to an election." I don't anticipate an early election."NATHAN COOPEROLDS-DIDSBURY-THREE HILLS MLA
