Alberta budget update slammed by both sides

By Lethbridge Herald on August 29, 2025.

Lethbridge Herald

The Alberta NDP accused the UCP government of “financial incompetence” after the province released its economic update Thursday.

Shadow Minister of Finance Court Ellingson said in a statement that “this UCP government continues to show that they don’t know what  they’re doing and that they’re really bad with money — we only have to look at their management of the Turkish Tylenol supplies to see the  extent of money they are willing to waste.

“Critical services that everyday Albertans rely on are getting cut across the province. Our health care system is somehow in greater  chaos than it was six months ago with the UCP government now charging Albertans to get a COVID vaccine.”

Ellingson also attacked provincial funding of the Alberta education system, which he said is the lowest-per-student level in Canada.

His statement also addressed insurance rates, grocery prices and costs of rent.

“Grocery prices are climbing higher than people can keep up with. Auto insurance rates are growing out of control,” said Ellingson. “Rents are  skyrocketing. Unemployment is climbing. The only thing that appears to  be falling are real wages in this province.

“This government can’t even claim fiscal responsibility as an excuse for the pain they’re causing. Despite all the cuts, they’ve still  managed to drive the province into deficit. That means Albertans are paying more, getting less, and still being left with a government that can’t balance the books.”

Meanwhile, from the other side of the political spectrum, the Canadian Taxpayers Federation rebuked the UCP, saying the province needs to cut spending and reduce its debt.

In a statement, Kris Sims, Alberta director of the CTF, said “Premier Danielle Smith needs to start saying ’no’ a lot to pull Alberta out of this debt plunge. Albertans are paying more than $3 billion this year in debt interest payments – that’s the cost of three new hospitals.”