As one of the world’s oil and gas powerhouses, Alberta regularly struggles with one question: Should the province diversify its economy away from fossil fuels?
No Shortage of Proposals to Use $2.4 Billion Surplus
Alberta is poised to benefit from a surge in resource revenue this decade, which could lead to provincial budget surpluses to fund spending for today’s growing population – or savings to support future generations.
In its pre-election budget Feb. 28, the UCP government predicted Alberta will end the 2023-24 fiscal year with a surplus of $2.4 billion, even after spending $68.3 billion to fund health care, day care, education, and many other programs, like helping Albertans cope with high inflation.
Leaders Offer Measures to Ease Affordability Crisis
As a result of generous monetary policy during the brunt of the COVID-19 pandemic, most of the world is experiencing the effects of inflation today. Canada is no exception, with inflation reaching 8.1% in June 2022, a 30-year high. Historically, the Bank of Canada seeks to ensure inflation is between 1.0 – 2.0%, and so, to try and get inflation under control, interest rates have been hiked to 2.5. In theory, with rising interest rates (and therefore, harder access to financial capital), prices and demand for capital should cool down.
