HomeMy WebLinkAboutParents, students winners in Alberta budget; Taxpayers face more debt - Metro - 03/22/2018 - Metro - 03/22/20183/23/2018 Parents, students winners in Alberta budget; Taxpayers face more debt
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Parents, students wiiiinneirs ilin Albeirta Ibudget; Taxpayers face il-noire debt:
By: Staff The Canadian Press, IPublished on rhu (Mair 22 2018
EDMONTON — Alberta's NDP government tabled its 2018-19 budget Thursday. Here is a look at
some of the winner and losers:
WINNERS:
Parents — Spending on K-12 education to rise to $8.4 billion from $7.8 billion and some of that
boost to be used to reduce school fees. The government plans to spend $22 million more on
affordable child-care spaces and $6 million more on school lunch programs.
Students — Tuition to remain frozen for post -secondary students. Advanced education
spending to jump to $6.1 billion from $5.5 billion.
The environmentally conscious — The government plans to spend $5.3 billion over the next
three years on climate initiatives that include everything from transit projects to home efficiency
programs.
The disabled — The Assured Income for the Severely Handicapped program is to get a boost of
$62 million to $1.1 billion.
LOSERS:
Non -unionized civil servants — A salary freeze for all non -unionized government workers is
being extended to 2019. Overall compensation for all public -sector workers is budgeted at $26.6
billion, about half of all government spending.
Future taxpayers — Debt is pegged $54.2 billion this year. The budget projects an $8.8 -billion
spending deficit in the year ahead. The budget is not expected to be balanced for another five
years.
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