Alberta NDP says, “They have no confidence in Premier Jason Kenney’s bogus, no-help provincial budget”

NDP Official Opposition MLAs will stand on behalf of Albertans and vote Thursday in the Legislature that they have no confidence in Premier Jason Kenney’s bogus, no-help provincial budget.

NDP Children’s Services Critic Rakhi Pancholi encouraged UCP MLAs who have lost confidence in the Premier to do the same. If the budget vote is defeated, Kenney would lose the confidence of the House and resign.

“Eighteen members of the Government Caucus is all it takes to defeat this budget and show that the Legislature really has lost confidence in Jason Kenney and his incompetent leadership,” Pancholi said. “I am encouraging each UCP MLA to think long and hard today about why they were elected, and to vote on their conscience tomorrow. Do the right thing. Let’s get back to the drawing board on a budget that will be there for all Albertans. Let’s work on a budget that recognizes we need to be smart with how we support each other in the middle of another energy boom. We need to support families, secure our economic future, keep people here and ensure no one falls through the cracks.”

NDP Energy Critic Kathleen Ganley said the budget is riddled with broken promises from the Premier.

“The Premier promised real relief on skyrocketing natural gas prices. Instead, we got a fake program. It’s unfunded in the budget, it isn’t helping a single Albertan right now, and it is set at a price threshold so high that it may never help a single Albertan in the future,” Ganley said.  “They offered nothing on electricity. Then, after Albertans spoke out, this Premier raced to bring in a rebate of just $50. The rebate would be a joke if it wasn’t so insulting to Albertans struggling to make ends meet. The Albertans I’ve heard from think this rebate is a slap in the face, nothing more. Every single UCP MLA who voted for this budget is telling Albertans they support this Premier and his decision to abandon them as they struggle.”

NDP Community Social Services Critic Marie Renaud said the budget makes life harder for vulnerable Albertans. She noted that deindexing the critical AISH program will cost some Albertans $3,000 annually.

“Jason Kenney is stealing from them,” Renaud said. “These Albertans and their families live in every riding in the province. So I strongly urge UCP MLAs to think about their constituents, and their families … when they decide whether or not to vote confidence or no-confidence in Jason Kenney today.”

“It’s crystal clear to me that Albertans can’t trust Jason Kenney … and I will be standing tomorrow on behalf of Albertans and voting no confidence,” Renaud added.

Pancholi noted Alberta’s NDP has committed to bringing forward real support if elected government, by reindexing programs like the Alberta Child Family Benefit, the Alberta Seniors Benefit and AISH. That election commitment will save families hundreds of dollars annually and save Albertans on income support thousands of dollars.