Has Alberta adequately managed, controlled, and optimized public spending? Has Alberta saved a sufficient portion of non-renewable resource revenue and invested it in such a way as to provide for future economic growth and prosperity?
Speaker: Mark Milke – Director of Research, Frontier Centre for Public Policy
Session summary:
Do we accept the speaker’s assessment of Alberta’s performance in this area?
- General agreement on “D” grade
- Current savings plan not acceptable
- Difficult not to increase spending when times are good (i.e., when massive surplus, people flowing into the province)
- Comparisons to other oil producing jurisdictions not fair because of equalization program
Do we agree with the proposed solutions and alternatives? If not, how would we alter them?
- Broad agreement with solutions and alternatives
- Consumption tax as a long term solution
- Legislate 30% of resource revenues to Heritage Fund
- Concern given current spending; others prefer tax cuts to diversify economy
- Funding that follows student / patient
- One group concerned about schools/hospital in rural communities
- Dealing with the public sector monopoly on labour
- Pension reform, from defined benefits to defined contributions
- Return to balanced budget, consider infrastructure debt
What additional ideas, solutions, and alternatives do we think would improve Alberta’s performance in this area?
- Reduce / streamline bureaucracy, look for service delivery efficiencies
- More funds for municipalities, should be part of the solution
- More careful consideration of regional spending within Alberta
- Need to have a plan to manage growth
- Transparency in financial reporting (Capital vs. Operating)
- Long term operation costing for infrastructure (full cost accounting)
- Give surpluses back to Albertans
- Encourage development of creative economy
- Citizen engagement on spending increases, statutory spending restraint
- Stop subsidization of water and power
- Similar royalties for oil & gas as Alaska / Norway
Small Group Discussion response forms: