A Dissection of Double Speak
In the April 2025 edition of High Country News, our MLA Sarah Elmeligi speaks against the UCP budget. She writes “ the 2025 budget creates a massive deficit.” Does Sarah not think that Albertans have a memory?
In the spring of 2015, when the NDP government took financial control, Alberta had a total debt of 12.8 billion dollars, but also owned 20 billion in net financial assets. According to the Parkland Institute, this put Alberta in a surplus position. In fact the previous 25 years of Conservative governance had posted a surplus (revenue over expenditures) of 24.6 billion dollars (GoA, Historical Fiscal Summary, 1990-2015).
Enter the NDP government fiscal policies. In 4 very short years, the NDP government quietly racked up an astonishing 37.67 billion dollars in debt (expenditures over revenues). This is a whopping $ 8,969.00 overspend per person….not just what they spent, what they spent over and above what they brought in as revenue. Now Sarah Elmeligi is complaining about the UCP overspending?
Premier Kenney and his team went to work. Since the Conservatives have retaken control of the Government of Alberta fiscal controls, our ration of expenditures to expenses have greatly improved. In the first 5 years Alberta posted an $8.4 billion dollar surplus. ( GoA, Historical Fiscal Summary, 2015-2020 )
Let’s now double down on the Double Speak
MLA Elmeligi then proceeds to criticize the UCP government that they didn’t spend enough on healthcare, education and ….tariff protection?? Okay I get the concept that you don’t believe that the UCP government spent enough, given the past history of the Alberta NDP fiscal policies, however, I find it disconcerting that Sarah feels that she can speak against a deficit and underspending in the same article. Pick one.
I don’t know about my fellow constituents, but I would prefer that my children and grandchildren do not have to pay the debt that my generation amasses. I am pretty sure that they also don’t want to pay for my debts. Maybe we should think about this the next time the opportunity comes to place your “x.”
Andy Heim
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