Budget doesn’t address pressing needs: Miyashiro
By Lethbridge Herald on March 3, 2025.
Lethbridge West MLA Rob Miyashiro speaks to reporters about the provincial budget 2025 Monday at his constituency office.
Herald photo by Alejandra Pulido-GuzmanAlejandra Pulido-Guzman – LETHBRIDGE HERALD – apulido@lethbridgeherald.com
Lethbridge West MLA Rob Miyashiro responded to the provincial budget 2025 Monday morning and said this budget is not helping Albertans, on the contrary it fails to meet the needs of Albertans.
“Albertans want good jobs, they want help with the increased cost of living, investment in public health care, public education and public safety,” said Miyashiro. “But with billions in cuts, the UCP’s budget fails to meet the needs of Albertans.”
He said Albertans are working tirelessly and but are facing skyrocketing costs, including the fastest-rising rents in the country, high auto insurance rates, high tuition and soaring utility rates.
“Albertans want the best for their families, but they are waiting long for health care, their kids are packed in overcrowded classrooms, they are feeling less safe in their communities and this is not okay, Albertans deserve better,” said Miyashiro.
He said everyone who calls Alberta home deserves to thrive, and this needs strong public services, good jobs, a diversified economy and an ethical leadership that works for them.
“The UCP’s provincial budget does nothing to address the pressing issues that Albertans face today, their priorities are not Albertans priorities. While families struggle the UCP is embroiled in the CorruptCare scandal.”
He accused the UCP of prioritizing bloated contracts for private surgical facilities over investments in public health care.
“Albertans asked for a strong public healthcare that is where and when they need it, but instead the provincial budget effectively cuts public healthcare budget and doubles down on more private surgeries,” said Miyashiro.
He added that public healthcare has seen a plethora of cuts across eight different areas, including primary care and indigenous health.
“Albertans asked for strong public education, instead the budget effectively cuts the education funding keeping Alberta at the lowest per student funding in the country.”
Albertans asked for safer communities and the UCP budget cuts community and public safety services, he added.
“Albertans asked for a stable economy that allows them to thrive, but the UCP budget has no plan of creating new jobs or addressing the tariffs that will wrick havoc to our industry and communities.”
Miyashiro said Albertans asked for help with the rising cost of living, but the UCP budget includes hundreds of millions of new and increased taxes and fees that will make everyday life for Albertans more expensive including increases in court fees, program application fees, licencing fees, and property taxes.
“Albertans want strong public services, fiscal responsibility and an ethical competent government, but this UCP budget only delivers cuts, chaos and corruption.”
When speaking about the budget announcement for the catheterization lab, Miyashiro said what people need to understand is that it was originally announced in 2019 by the then-NDP government.
“The UCP has kicked it down the road, this is the third budget that they’ve said they are going to do something about it. This was an election issue twice, and have never follow through with it, so I guess we’ll see.”
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Miyashiro has a lot of criticism . Miyashiro has no positive good suggestions either. Fix the health system? How many more trainloads of tax- dollars should we commit? The AHS board could easily squander a lot more I suppose. Wouldn’t help the health care tho. Waste- both in infrastructure and staff needs to be addressed. There needs to be accountability and efficiency. Not “cronyism “.
Safer communities? More drug houses ? “Safe” injection sites? He wants to add to the burdening homeless crowd by making their lifestyle easier.
It doesn’t appear you’ve any good suggestions, yourself. Purely criticism.
What was the point of your comment?
Perhaps , some thought on your part or reflection- I am not the one criticizing the budget. Miyashiro did . He would do well , extremely well to provide positive input. He is part of the NDP that worked so hard to destroy downtown Lethbridge. We ought not to forget that. After all we paid for it dearly, at least I can say I did. With yours and mine tax dollars.
I didn’t say you were criticizing the budget. I said you were full of criticism.
Reading is fundamental. Don’t misrepresent the things I say.
Bbbbut my TAXES!!!
Boohoo.
Why do you feel the need to embellish what Miyashiro said? He said safer communities but nothing about drug houses and safe injection sites. Why do you clowns keep bringing up this stuff? We all know it failed. Something had to be tried, it was tried and it failed. We all learned from it, so knock it off with the embellishments.
.??isn’t he NDP. They live and breath safe injection sites.
??isn’t he NDP? They live and breathe safe injection sites for promotion of drug use. They did a lot of damage to the city down town, Lethbridge , that is , by making it so welcoming to the “ unhoused ( drug abusers). Lumpy says – we all know it failed- ,I’m not so sure Knotley and Shannon would agree with you.
You’re delusional.
That’s a load of crap and you know it.
Every province and territory is struggling right now! Have you watched elections across Canada the last year? The concerns are all the same and healthcare is one of the most talked about. There is a North American wide shortage in many jobs!
The NDP is always good at attacking just to attack, but have no answers!
Nothing pleases you and when a fically responsible budget is put forth, with honesty showing what is coming due to the US tariffs, but has important funding needed then it isn’t good enough!
You ingored the fact that the Premier had nothing to do with decisions made regarding irregularities in procuring healthcare services, which you would know because procurement is not the Premier’s job, but even with an independent investigation now, it is not good enough!
We saw this when you were on Council, as you attacked Council members who were standing up for concerned citizens.
You destroyed our city by pushing for the NDP supervised drug consumption site that destroyed our city and businesses, then when pleas were made to close it, you continued hour support. Then when crime rose to unheard of levels, and we were #1 on the crime severity list, you pushed to defund police. You also were against an oversight committee for the building of the new Lethbridge and District Exhibition Agro-Hub, so Mr. Miyashiro you have proven to be nothing but a negative influence for this city and the only way you got in was because of the misinformation campaign you run and is still being run, as just read in this news report!
“but this UCP budget only delivers cuts, chaos and corruption.”
Where is your proof on corruption? You are on thin ice! But this is the NDP way, they think they can say anything with impunity!
We witnessing your disinformation campaign in the by-election so who is misleading who?
Your leader doesn’t even have seat! He knows he can’t run in Calgary because he would never win! You two make a good couple!
I would remind you that you didn’t win your seat by that much!
What, exactly is the premier’s job, if not ensuring her staff are following procurement policy properly?
You seem to know a lot for someone who doesn’t appear to know much of anything.
That is not her job anymore than it is to tell a Police Chief how to do his job!
Do your own research in your ignorance, start with the Auditor General!
Funny that other Premiers have applauded our Premier! If you don’t know what a Premier’s duties are I would suggest quit reading social media and use true sources of information that are not opinions or NDP disinformation!
I didn’t say a single thing about “telling anyone how to do their job”.
Your strawman attempt at a retort is comical, yet ineffective. Applauding Malfeasance Marlaina isn’t the win you want it to be.
K, I’ll follow your advice. I will ignore all of your opinions.
You said it yourself!
Note: you said it’s NOT the premier’s JOB to tell her STAFF to do their jobs…
This is in print.
This is the sort of mental buffoonery we expect from UCP supporters.
We have seen what the NDP did to our city and our province! They talk about money not in budgets . . . maybe if billions had not been poured into treatment programs, bolstering law enforcement to combat the increased crime and organized crime that comes with the drug crisis, increasing fire/EMS services to counter the huge increase in calls due to the drug crisis and now tariffs, because of the drug crisis, there were be money to support more programs.
More importantly . . . the drug crisis caused our healthcare system to be heavily impacted, whether it was in the emergency rooms, or other areas of the hospitals and has stressed healthcare by taking away doctors and nurses that could be working in different areas . . . large numbers! The NDP bought in policies that failed and only encouraged and enabled addicts to continue in their addiction, with little focus on treatment, which is a great solution, as proven by the UCP!
The NDP decisions made while in government are still taking billions in our tax dollars right now and will, until we reduce the drug crisis to manageable numbers.
Almost a 40% decrease in fatal overdoses under the UCP, which if it were the NDP, we would still see increases and probably the failed safe supply drug program that BC uses, which the taxpayer pays for, just to see the addicts take those safe supply drugs which are free and sell them so they can get the illegal drugs that give them that ‘buzz’ they want. Those safe supply drugs not only end up on the streets of BC but have been found in the US and other provinces, all paid for by the taxpayer!
That is the NDP way!
Look at what the NDP has done to BC! Vancouver DTES alone spends over $400 million each on housing supports and social services from 300 non-profits, and the greater DTES only has a total population of under 20,000. That is just one little part of BC and that doesn’t include all of the other costs for that small area, there are policing costs, fire/EMS costs, increased judicial costs, and many more . . . they continue to make bad decisions that continue to kill people and they now put up a smoke and mirrors trick so the fatal overdoses only count illegal toxic drugs, not the safe supply overdoses on a devious attempt to make it look like they are making headway!
This is what our province would look like today if Miyashiro and the NDP were in power! Tangible proof!
During the recent election, it was the NDP running a dirty campaign, not the UCP! Many didn’t see some of the attacks on social media that were full of lies and crossed the line in some cases when attacking the UCP West candidate! Don’t try to tell me you are innocent and angels!
We’re seeing what the UCP is doing RIGHT NOW. Your myopic hindloathing for the NDP sure isn’t fixing any of the issues, now is it?
Your sophistry is exhausting.
Exhausting? Oh you poor thing!
Yes, exhausting. Reading comprehension troubles?
Your energy would probably be better spent licking selenium from your dear leader’s shoes than…whatever it is you’re engaged in here.
It’s very unlikely you will convince any NDP bootlickers anything other than Smith Bad. Most of them have made their money off the public teat and are beyond clueless when it comes to investing one’s life in the economy. They have never had to use their brain.
Irony escapes you, huh?
Smith’s actions speak for themselves.
Yes, she’s BAD.
Finally you speak from experience!
I don’t waste my time trying to convince this group of druggies and give me give me give me leeches anything, because they are too gullible and brainwashed to see the truth or understand reality. I only present the readers with the truth, knowing that there are those who actually have not rotted their brains on drugs or are too weak minded to see reality!
Just facts that can be backed up with tangible evidence, not the disinformation the NDP spews and the hatred.
The Alberta budget has some great investments in this city, especially for our healthcare, with investments in the NDP ran U of L, for long term solutions to our healthcare issues.
https://lethbridgeherald.com/news/national-news/2025/03/04/b-c-budget-brings-record-deficit-billions-in-trade-war-contingencies/
The NDP budget in BC is running a $10 billion deficit with contingencies of another $4 billion for each of the 3 years after the first year. There are digging a huge hole to crawl out of, but you don’t see them being attacked for that budget.
So who is fiscally responsible??
Ad hominem, whatboutism and strawman nonsense.
You DEFINITELY are a UCP supporter.
The usual attack the messenger. They fon’t like your message pursuit.
The “message” is sophistry and personal attacks on their opposition.
I have a young son who has a better grasp of productive discussion than the two of you do.
How’s that selenium taste today?
Your rant is nothing more than sour grapes for Middleton hope failing to win, so keep on crying, it’s falling on deaf ears
well, here is a conundrum: do we blame our alberta ndp for trump coming to power (on top of everything else wrong with alberta, and the world, no doubt, right?), what with the all the fentanyl we send to the usa (which is rubbish, as far, far more originates in the usa and comes from there to here), or, does one wish to thank the alberta ndp for giving the world the great orange god trump, because of ndp drug policies?
either way, we are for the moment under the thumb of a serial liar, heartless, cruel, stingy, sleazy, greedy, self serving fool for whom nothing less than unchecked power for himself is the end game. how are americans not in the streets is massive revolt? this guy prefers putin, and even jong un, to democratic leaders. moreover, if one feels one just needs to suck up these coming 4 years, i suggest he will not leave according to law. he has already numerous times demonstrated the only laws that matter are the laws that he chooses.