By Karen Kleiss, Edmonton Journal
EDMONTON – Progressive Conservative leadership candidate Jim Prentice pledged Wednesday to cap Alberta’s infrastructure debt and return to an easy-to-understand consolidated budget presentation.
At a sold out Chamber of Commerce speech at the Fairmont Hotel Macdonald, Prentice also said the government will introduce a five-year capital infrastructure plan and publish a semi-annual report card on Alberta’s infrastructure projects.
“We will minimize the debt that is financed, and then we will cap that debt,” Prentice told reporters after the speech.
“The numbers that I have seen on the existing infrastructure plan are in the vicinity of $20 billion, (but) until I’m at the table, and can scrutinize it and prioritize the plan, I don’t know if that will be the number or not.”
Prentice is widely viewed as the front-runner in the Tory party race to replace former leader Alison Redford. If he wins, he will automatically become the premier of Alberta.
He is running against Edmonton-Castle Downs MLA Thomas Lukaszuk and Calgary-Hays MLA Ric McIver.
Earlier Wednesday, McIver announced in Edmonton that should he win, he would restore some of the funding cut in recent years to roads and water infrastructure.
McIver, like Prentice, has said he doesn’t contemplate tax hikes or tax changes to pay for infrastructure.
McIver wouldn’t say if he will keep going into debt for capital, but said he has heard from Albertans on the topic over the past two weeks.
“One principle is they want a balanced budget. The other principle is they want us to keep building infrastructure,” said McIver. “Those are principles I agree with. And I appreciate that may lead to some difficult decisions, but I think that’s what we’re here for.”
Prentice stopped short of saying he will scrap Alberta’s controversial new budget presentation and reinstate the one Albertans are accustomed to. Instead, he pledged to work with the Auditor General, the chamber and rating agencies to produce a “consolidated” budget presentation.
“There will be no more partisan debates about budgetary format,” Prentice said.
Alberta’s carbon levy is up for renewal in September, and Prentice said he doesn’t expect to dismantle it, but has no intention of increasing the levy, either.
“There’s no indication the U.S. is prepared to bring one in,” Prentice said. “We shouldn’t be exporting jobs and investment out of Alberta when other jurisdictions aren’t prepared to shoulder the same share of the burden.”
Prentice committed to publishing his donor list before the first leadership vote on Sept. 6. Under a Prentice government, the province would not contribute to the construction of the new Edmonton area.
Prentice said that in the coming days, he will outline his plan for refining Alberta oil at home.
“Clearly, to the extent possible within the market, we need to have maximum value added here in Alberta,” he said. “The question is what is practical? What can we do in terms of the market? What is competitive?”
With files from The Canadian Press
