Wildrose promises energy dividend payments for Albertans

A Wildrose government would send oil and gas dividend cheques to Albertans, party leader Danielle Smith said Monday.

The program would see 20 per cent of budget surpluses generated by oil and gas royalties given to Albertans, Smithpromised at a campaign stop in Cremona, Alta.

"Instead of squandering surplus funds on pet projects and more government waste, the Alberta Energy Dividend will ensure Albertans benefit directly from the wealth our energy sector generates," said Smith.

The plan would amount to $300 for every Albertan in 2015, the party said in a written statement.

The tax-free payments would only be made in years when the government posts a surplus, thus ensuring the program stays affordable in the long-term, the party said.

The Liberals slammed the proposal as bad idea that's been tried before.

"DaniBucks aren't even a new idea. She's copied one of Ralph Klein's worst ideas and recycled it with a new name. As a political strategy, it might might turn some heads. As political and economic policy, it's really thin," said a Liberal Party press release.

In 2006, Premier Ralph Klein sent cheques for $400 to Albertans when the surplus reached nearly $9 billion. That program, which earned the nick-name "Ralph bucks", cost $1.4 billion.