Alberta UCP eyeing 'risky and extreme' policies, says finance minister

Alberta Finance Minister Joe Cecisays a series of draft policies in aUnited Conservative Party document are"risky and extreme" for the province and the tax changes alone could cost billions.

Cecimade himself available to reporters Thursday to discuss a UCPcommittee'sproposed policies, which have yet to be approved but include a return to a flat income tax and various arguments for providing publicly-funded private health services.

Cecisaidthatadopting the flat taxwould mainlybenefit wealthier Albertanswhile resulting in about a "$700-million hole"in the provincialbudget.

"This is risky and extreme, and it's not in the interest of Alberta," saidCeci,who estimatedall the tax changes proposed by theUCPcould end up costingbillions of dollars.

"You know,I only got to page twoof this document,"Cecitold reporters at the Alberta legislature.

"I'm sure if I got to page three, four, five, sixhe'll talk about blowing up hospitals and saving money that way,"Ceciadded,referring toUCPleader JasonKenney.

Draft policies distributed to UCPmembers

Last week, the UCP distributed a 21 page "member policy declaration" paper to party members to promote discussion before the party's founding convention in May, said party executive director Janice Harrington.

UCPleadership candidate pressed for details on proposed government cuts

UCPleadership candidates vow to 'take Alberta back'

The document covers a broad range of policy areas, including health, energy, education, arts and culture andfinance.

Among other suggestions, it calls for the elimination of Alberta's twoper cent small business tax, and a return to a 10 percent flat tax.

A 10.5 percent flat tax rate was adopted in 2000 under the Progressive Conservativegovernment offormer premier Ralph Klein, but dropped by the new NDP government in 2015.

The PC government under former premier Jim Prentice hadindicated it was ready to eliminate the flat tax rate before the PC government was defeated in the 2015 election.

On the topic of heath, the UCP document says the United Conservative Party believes the government of Alberta should allow for "publicly-funded, privately-delivered health services to improve delivery efficiency and lower costs." Thatcould"address excessive wait- imes" and "improve delivery efficiency and lower costs."

It also says the province'sbudget should be balanced by the end of the first term of a new UCP government, which would bein 2023, four years after the scheduled 2019 election.

"I don't get that," saidCecii, who notedhis government has talked about a "path to balance" of the budget by 2023-2024, but without "the reckless and extreme approaches being talked about by"Kenney and the UCP.

Ceci said the government's plan for balancing the books will be includedin the spring budget.

Consultation and surveys

Harrington saidthe final UCPpolicy paper may change after a full consultation, including two surveys, are done with UCP members and the issues are presented and discussed at the May convention.

"What it's going to look like may be completely different from what's being proposed right now," said Harrington.

Policies can be added for consideration by constituency associations or groups of at least 10people.

The UCP policy documentwas developed by members of the UCP policy committee, formed under anagreement in principle that was part of the merger of the former Wildrose and PC parties, saidHarrington.

'Those members just took a look at what had been historical policies for both legacy parties, then also their own ideas about some timely and topical issues,as well as some things they thought members would be interested in discussing," Harrington explained.

Despite the fact the paper has not been officially adopted as a campaign platform by the UCP, Cecicharacterizedit as a "glimpse of what the future Alberta will look like under Jason Kenney."

"A life under Jason Kenney and gang," said Ceci, "would be back to the bad old days when theycut, cut cut cut."