Alberta Finance Minister Travis Toews tabled the 2020-21 Alberta budget yesterday and, as expected, the overall tone of the speech revolved around a plan to stimulate the Alberta economy and create jobs by making it easier for people to do business in our province. This, along with continuing on the course to reduce spending by 2.8% across government - while maintaining spending levels for health care, education and core social services - is central to the governments' plan to balance the budget by 2023. Focusing in on the health component of the provincial budget Finance Minister Toews announced projected health spending of $20.6B - equalivalent to the 2019-20 budget (see table 2). In Tues

Today, Alberta Finance Minister, Travis Toews, tabled his second budget in four months as he introduced the 2020-21 budget and forecast a deficit of $6.8B on revenues of $49.98B and expenses of $56.8B. Beyond the 20-21 fiscal year today's budget forecast a further reduction in the annual deficit to $2.71B for 21-22 and a $706M surplus in 22-23. In order to achieve these targets the budget continues on the same path of reducing overall spending by 2.8% by 22-23 while at the same time maintaining or slightly increasing spending in health, education and core social services. As mentioned in the Throne Speech earlier this week, one of the key pillars of Budget 2020 is the introduction of “A Blue

Today, Lieutenant Governor, Lois Mitchell delivered her second throne speech in less than a year for her still relatively new United Conservative Party (UCP) Government led by Premier Jason Kenney. Approximately one month after the UCP won a majority government on April 19, 2019, Lieutenant Governor Mitchell delivered her first throne speech laying out her government's priorities for the spring and fall sitting of the 2019 legislative sessions. Her first speech from the throne also provided insights into some of the priorities of the spring sitting of 2020 - including a package of democratic reforms which was further outlined in today's speech. After nearly nine months of introducing and pas