Edmonton Journal compares the parties
From http://www.canada.com/edmontonjournal/features/albertavotes/story.htm...
The Issues
Where the parties stand on several key election points
Stephen Ewart, Calgary Herald
Published: 2:02 am
Ed Stelmach
Conservative Party
Oil and gas royalties
- Increase revenue from oil and gas royalties by $1.4 billion in 2010
- Retain initial oilsands royalties at 1%, increase post cost-recovery royalties to 33%
- Introduce a new royalty that would rise with higher oil prices
- Increase royalties on high-productivity oil and natural gas wells
Education
- Reduce student loan interest rates to prime and increase student loan limits
- Invest an extra $11 million in graduate student bursaries
- Increase the number of post-secondary spaces
- Build and modernize more than two dozen schools in Calgary and Edmonton
- Construct health high schools in Calgary and Edmonton
Environment
- Reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 14 per cent below 2005 levels by 2050, focus on carbon capture and storage
- Tax credits for homeowners who renovate with renewable energy sources/energy-efficient appliances
- Develop parks in Bow River valley and North Saskatchewan River valley
- Update regulation of resource activities in the eastern slopes of the Rockies
Taxes
- Eliminate public health-care premiums over four years
- Increase tax credit by 10% for 150,000 low-income families and single parents
- Reduce taxes for 20,000 families/increase Family Employment Tax Credit threshold to $31,392
- Cap education portion of seniors' property taxes at 2004 levels for at least five years
Housing/Homelessness
- Create a secretariat on homelessness
- Increase income exemptions for people on social assistance
- Increase the number of affordable housing units to 11,000 over the next five years
- Continue rent-supplement and eviction-prevention programs
Health care
- Create new physician training spaces to qualify 225 more doctors annually by 2012
- Increase the number of nurse graduates by 350 annually by 2012
- Increase the number of Licensed Practical Nurse graduates by 220 annually by 2012
- Recruit more foreign workers to fill health-care positions
Auto insurance
- Introduced the $4,000 soft-tissue injury payout maximum
- Will appeal Court of Queen's Bench ruling striking down the limit
Day care
- Support the creation of 14,000 new child-care spaces by 2011 and another 4,000 by 2016
- Recruit more qualified foreign-trained workers
Crime
- Support municipalities with recruitment and retention of police officers
- Co-ordinate western provinces initiative to target gangs and organized crime
- Give police the tools to swiftly deal with known drug houses
- Hire more prosecutors and provincial judges
Infrastructure
- $6 billion a year to build, maintain and repair schools, hospitals, highways, urban transit, universities, colleges, parks and senior care facilities
- $40 million for a science centre in Calgary
Government reform
- Review recommendations from Alberta's chief electoral officer calling for autonomous selection of returning officers
- Consider reforming finance regulations for party leadership races
---
Kevin Taft
Alberta Liberals
Oil and gas royalties
- Increase overall royalty revenue by 20 per cent a year
- Increase the royalties on oilsands
- Reduce proposed royalty changes on natural gas
Education
- Roll back tuition an average of $1,000/create $300 annual grant for books and tools
- Add 60,000 post-secondary spaces by 2020 and reduce interest on student loans to prime rate
- Double Alberta bursary program with an additional $13 million
- Three-year moratorium on public school closures
Environment
- Establish hard cap on greenhouse gas emissions in five years/raise penalties for excess emissions
- Redirect consumer gas rebate program to energy conservation
- Develop parks in Bow River valley and North Saskatchewan River valley
- Suspend oil and gas exploration in parts of the eastern slopes of Rockies
Taxes
- Eliminate public health-care premiums immediately
- Reduce property taxes for seniors by an average of $700 per household
- New tax credits for forestry and TV/film industries
Housing/Homelessness
- Assist municipalities with plans to end homelessness and create more affordable housing
- Implement temporary 10% cap on annual rent increases
- Establish moratorium on apartment-condo conversions
- Financial assistance for moderate-income earners seeking to buy homes
Health care
- New cancer facility in Calgary, build or expand hospitals in Grande Prairie, Medicine Hat and Edmonton
- Implement a public pharmacare program for prescription drugs
- Train additional nurses, doctors and other health professionals
- Create specialized surgical centres
- Implement provincewide community health centre model
Auto insurance
- Will not appeal court ruling
- Review whether to introduce public auto insurance
Day care
- Create new child-care centres
- Boost wages at every level to help child- care centres recruit and retain staff
- Provide financial support for students in early childhood education
- Improve eligibility for subsidies for parents
Crime
- Increase funding for police in Edmonton and Calgary
- Work with major cities to improve security on transit systems
- Develop a Unified Family Court system to address legal issues arising from family breakdown
Infrastructure
- Increase funding for public transit
- Increase funding for Red Deer airport
- New or expanded hospitals in Calgary, Edmonton, Grande Prairie, Medicine Hat
- New arts centre in Lethbridge
Government reform
- Put chief electoral officer in charge of selecting constituency returning officers
- Establish fixed election dates
- Reform election finance laws
- Enact whistle-blower legislation
---
Brian Mason
New Democratic Party
Oil and gas royalties
- Increase royalties by $2B in first year and $6B in years two, three and four
- Examine whether an Alaska-style royalty regime is appropriate for Alberta
- Add a variable royalty structure that increases at higher oil prices
- Increase royalties on other non-renewable resources such as coal
- Add an interim per barrel tax on bitumen exported outside Alberta
Education
- Roll back tuition to 1999-2000 levels, saving students an average of $1,400
- Reduce student loan interest rates to prime
- Increase post-secondary spaces at existing institutions and support new facilities
- Phase out government funding for private schools
- Implement cap on classroom sizes
Environment
- Establish a hard cap on greenhouse gas emissions/raise penalties for excess emissions
- Create a $2-billion-a-year "green energy" fund to support energy efficient retro-fits and alternative energy
- Fund alternative power generation projects such as solar and wind farms
- More effective environmental compliance in the oilpatch
Taxes
- Eliminate public health-care premiums immediately
- Reduce education portion of property taxes for seniors
- Reverse $400 million in corporate tax cuts
Housing/Homelessness
- Implement rent controls equal to the cost of living plus two per cent
- Limit apartment-condo conversions
- Establish first-time home buyer's assistance program
Health care
- Cap seniors' monthly drug costs at $25.
- Remove financial barriers for students interested in medical professions
- Create more residencies for international medical students
- Shorten wait times in hospital beds by moving seniors to appropriate long-term care settings
- Create community-based, primary health care clinics to divert patients from emergency rooms
Auto insurance
- Implement a government-run auto insurance program
Day care
- Cap fees at $25/day for infant care and $9/day for after-school care
- Bring funding up to the national average ($268 million) to create more spaces and cut fees in half
- Improve the wages of child-care workers to address shortages and turnover
Crime
- Increase funding to hire 800 new officers over five years
- Establish response-time targets whencalls are made to report crimes
- Establish a provincial body to investigate allegations of criminal wrongdoing by police
Infrastructure
- Develop $20-billion fund for creation of a green energy economy, renewable energy projects
- Create Alberta Renewable Energy Corporation to develop larger -cale projects, foster research and market development
Government reform
- Prohibit political donations from corporations and unions to political parties
- Align disclosure rules and campaign funding limits with federal rules
---
Paul Hinman
Wildrose Alliance
Oil and gas royalties
- Improve application of existing royalty regime
- Retain the current royalty regime on conventional oil and gas
- Honour existing agreements with companies
- Increase pre-project payout oilsands royalties by 1% over four years
Education
- Institute a financing plan so each qualified Alberta student receives a full scholarship for five years
- Give admission and funding priority to Alberta students over out-of-province students
- Increase apprenticeships in the trades and technical sectors
- Double graduates in computer science and electrical and computer engineering
Environment
- Reject the Kyoto accord and any quotas that would negatively impact Alberta's economy
- Permit private prosecutions against polluters
- Ensure laws are "reasonable, sensible and have a relationship to reality and common sense"
Taxes
- Eliminate public health-care premiums immediately
Referendums for any increase to provincial or municipal tax increases
- Raise the basic tax exemption to $20,000
- Reduce corporate taxes to 8% from 10%
- Create provincial unemployment insurance and pension plans
Housing/
Homelessness
- Allocate appropriate public land for affordable housing
- Implement a program to increase affordable housing supply
- Eliminate homelessness during first term in office
Health care
- Elect regional health authority boards
- Give health regions more control over how funds are spent
- Provide forgivable student loans to Alberta-trained medical professionals who practise in under-served communities for 10 years
Auto insurance
- No public policy statements
Day care
- Tax cuts that support stay-at-home parents
- Redistribute federal child-care funds received by the province directly to parents on a per-child basis
Crime
- Establish a provincial police force
- Establish an independent agency to review complaints against police
- Ensure police have the tools to pursue Internet-related crimes such as child pornography
- Ensure sufficient funding for municipal police forces to hire enough officers
Infrastructure
- Institute a program to upgrade provincial transportation systems
- Mandate all revenues from provincial gasoline tax be used for transportation, such as road upgrading and public transportation
Government reform
- Plebiscites on matters of "public significance" if a petition is signed by 5% of voting population
- Reduce size of cabinet to 12 members
- Set fixed election dates every four years and two-term limit for premier
- Institute right of recall of elected officials
© The Edmonton Journal 2008
The Issues
Where the parties stand on several key election points
Stephen Ewart, Calgary Herald
Published: 2:02 am
Ed Stelmach
Conservative Party
Oil and gas royalties
- Increase revenue from oil and gas royalties by $1.4 billion in 2010
- Retain initial oilsands royalties at 1%, increase post cost-recovery royalties to 33%
- Introduce a new royalty that would rise with higher oil prices
- Increase royalties on high-productivity oil and natural gas wells
Education
- Reduce student loan interest rates to prime and increase student loan limits
- Invest an extra $11 million in graduate student bursaries
- Increase the number of post-secondary spaces
- Build and modernize more than two dozen schools in Calgary and Edmonton
- Construct health high schools in Calgary and Edmonton
Environment
- Reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 14 per cent below 2005 levels by 2050, focus on carbon capture and storage
- Tax credits for homeowners who renovate with renewable energy sources/energy-efficient appliances
- Develop parks in Bow River valley and North Saskatchewan River valley
- Update regulation of resource activities in the eastern slopes of the Rockies
Taxes
- Eliminate public health-care premiums over four years
- Increase tax credit by 10% for 150,000 low-income families and single parents
- Reduce taxes for 20,000 families/increase Family Employment Tax Credit threshold to $31,392
- Cap education portion of seniors' property taxes at 2004 levels for at least five years
Housing/Homelessness
- Create a secretariat on homelessness
- Increase income exemptions for people on social assistance
- Increase the number of affordable housing units to 11,000 over the next five years
- Continue rent-supplement and eviction-prevention programs
Health care
- Create new physician training spaces to qualify 225 more doctors annually by 2012
- Increase the number of nurse graduates by 350 annually by 2012
- Increase the number of Licensed Practical Nurse graduates by 220 annually by 2012
- Recruit more foreign workers to fill health-care positions
Auto insurance
- Introduced the $4,000 soft-tissue injury payout maximum
- Will appeal Court of Queen's Bench ruling striking down the limit
Day care
- Support the creation of 14,000 new child-care spaces by 2011 and another 4,000 by 2016
- Recruit more qualified foreign-trained workers
Crime
- Support municipalities with recruitment and retention of police officers
- Co-ordinate western provinces initiative to target gangs and organized crime
- Give police the tools to swiftly deal with known drug houses
- Hire more prosecutors and provincial judges
Infrastructure
- $6 billion a year to build, maintain and repair schools, hospitals, highways, urban transit, universities, colleges, parks and senior care facilities
- $40 million for a science centre in Calgary
Government reform
- Review recommendations from Alberta's chief electoral officer calling for autonomous selection of returning officers
- Consider reforming finance regulations for party leadership races
---
Kevin Taft
Alberta Liberals
Oil and gas royalties
- Increase overall royalty revenue by 20 per cent a year
- Increase the royalties on oilsands
- Reduce proposed royalty changes on natural gas
Education
- Roll back tuition an average of $1,000/create $300 annual grant for books and tools
- Add 60,000 post-secondary spaces by 2020 and reduce interest on student loans to prime rate
- Double Alberta bursary program with an additional $13 million
- Three-year moratorium on public school closures
Environment
- Establish hard cap on greenhouse gas emissions in five years/raise penalties for excess emissions
- Redirect consumer gas rebate program to energy conservation
- Develop parks in Bow River valley and North Saskatchewan River valley
- Suspend oil and gas exploration in parts of the eastern slopes of Rockies
Taxes
- Eliminate public health-care premiums immediately
- Reduce property taxes for seniors by an average of $700 per household
- New tax credits for forestry and TV/film industries
Housing/Homelessness
- Assist municipalities with plans to end homelessness and create more affordable housing
- Implement temporary 10% cap on annual rent increases
- Establish moratorium on apartment-condo conversions
- Financial assistance for moderate-income earners seeking to buy homes
Health care
- New cancer facility in Calgary, build or expand hospitals in Grande Prairie, Medicine Hat and Edmonton
- Implement a public pharmacare program for prescription drugs
- Train additional nurses, doctors and other health professionals
- Create specialized surgical centres
- Implement provincewide community health centre model
Auto insurance
- Will not appeal court ruling
- Review whether to introduce public auto insurance
Day care
- Create new child-care centres
- Boost wages at every level to help child- care centres recruit and retain staff
- Provide financial support for students in early childhood education
- Improve eligibility for subsidies for parents
Crime
- Increase funding for police in Edmonton and Calgary
- Work with major cities to improve security on transit systems
- Develop a Unified Family Court system to address legal issues arising from family breakdown
Infrastructure
- Increase funding for public transit
- Increase funding for Red Deer airport
- New or expanded hospitals in Calgary, Edmonton, Grande Prairie, Medicine Hat
- New arts centre in Lethbridge
Government reform
- Put chief electoral officer in charge of selecting constituency returning officers
- Establish fixed election dates
- Reform election finance laws
- Enact whistle-blower legislation
---
Brian Mason
New Democratic Party
Oil and gas royalties
- Increase royalties by $2B in first year and $6B in years two, three and four
- Examine whether an Alaska-style royalty regime is appropriate for Alberta
- Add a variable royalty structure that increases at higher oil prices
- Increase royalties on other non-renewable resources such as coal
- Add an interim per barrel tax on bitumen exported outside Alberta
Education
- Roll back tuition to 1999-2000 levels, saving students an average of $1,400
- Reduce student loan interest rates to prime
- Increase post-secondary spaces at existing institutions and support new facilities
- Phase out government funding for private schools
- Implement cap on classroom sizes
Environment
- Establish a hard cap on greenhouse gas emissions/raise penalties for excess emissions
- Create a $2-billion-a-year "green energy" fund to support energy efficient retro-fits and alternative energy
- Fund alternative power generation projects such as solar and wind farms
- More effective environmental compliance in the oilpatch
Taxes
- Eliminate public health-care premiums immediately
- Reduce education portion of property taxes for seniors
- Reverse $400 million in corporate tax cuts
Housing/Homelessness
- Implement rent controls equal to the cost of living plus two per cent
- Limit apartment-condo conversions
- Establish first-time home buyer's assistance program
Health care
- Cap seniors' monthly drug costs at $25.
- Remove financial barriers for students interested in medical professions
- Create more residencies for international medical students
- Shorten wait times in hospital beds by moving seniors to appropriate long-term care settings
- Create community-based, primary health care clinics to divert patients from emergency rooms
Auto insurance
- Implement a government-run auto insurance program
Day care
- Cap fees at $25/day for infant care and $9/day for after-school care
- Bring funding up to the national average ($268 million) to create more spaces and cut fees in half
- Improve the wages of child-care workers to address shortages and turnover
Crime
- Increase funding to hire 800 new officers over five years
- Establish response-time targets whencalls are made to report crimes
- Establish a provincial body to investigate allegations of criminal wrongdoing by police
Infrastructure
- Develop $20-billion fund for creation of a green energy economy, renewable energy projects
- Create Alberta Renewable Energy Corporation to develop larger -cale projects, foster research and market development
Government reform
- Prohibit political donations from corporations and unions to political parties
- Align disclosure rules and campaign funding limits with federal rules
---
Paul Hinman
Wildrose Alliance
Oil and gas royalties
- Improve application of existing royalty regime
- Retain the current royalty regime on conventional oil and gas
- Honour existing agreements with companies
- Increase pre-project payout oilsands royalties by 1% over four years
Education
- Institute a financing plan so each qualified Alberta student receives a full scholarship for five years
- Give admission and funding priority to Alberta students over out-of-province students
- Increase apprenticeships in the trades and technical sectors
- Double graduates in computer science and electrical and computer engineering
Environment
- Reject the Kyoto accord and any quotas that would negatively impact Alberta's economy
- Permit private prosecutions against polluters
- Ensure laws are "reasonable, sensible and have a relationship to reality and common sense"
Taxes
- Eliminate public health-care premiums immediately
Referendums for any increase to provincial or municipal tax increases
- Raise the basic tax exemption to $20,000
- Reduce corporate taxes to 8% from 10%
- Create provincial unemployment insurance and pension plans
Housing/
Homelessness
- Allocate appropriate public land for affordable housing
- Implement a program to increase affordable housing supply
- Eliminate homelessness during first term in office
Health care
- Elect regional health authority boards
- Give health regions more control over how funds are spent
- Provide forgivable student loans to Alberta-trained medical professionals who practise in under-served communities for 10 years
Auto insurance
- No public policy statements
Day care
- Tax cuts that support stay-at-home parents
- Redistribute federal child-care funds received by the province directly to parents on a per-child basis
Crime
- Establish a provincial police force
- Establish an independent agency to review complaints against police
- Ensure police have the tools to pursue Internet-related crimes such as child pornography
- Ensure sufficient funding for municipal police forces to hire enough officers
Infrastructure
- Institute a program to upgrade provincial transportation systems
- Mandate all revenues from provincial gasoline tax be used for transportation, such as road upgrading and public transportation
Government reform
- Plebiscites on matters of "public significance" if a petition is signed by 5% of voting population
- Reduce size of cabinet to 12 members
- Set fixed election dates every four years and two-term limit for premier
- Institute right of recall of elected officials
© The Edmonton Journal 2008
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