The time to talk about new taxes in Alberta is right now.

Not after the next election.

Both Premier Alison Redford and Finance Minister Ron Liepert have admitted everything will be on the table when it comes to the way the Alberta government spends and taxes. After voters have gone to the polls and re-elected them, that is.

One former Tory PM famously said elections are no place to talk about important issues. When that election was over, her party had lost all but two seats.

Albertans want their politicians to get down to the nitty-gritty before they vote.

Opposition parties have been turning up the heat on Redford.

Liberal Leader Raj Sherman wants the government to get rid of Alberta’s flat tax rate to milk more revenue from upper income earners.

On the other side, Wildrose finance critic Rob Anderson asked her to pledge that she will not support any new tax increases during the next term of government.

“If you’re not going to do it, say it here and now: In the next four years you’re not going to raise taxes no matter what. Say it right now. Put it on the record.”

Redford lashed back with accusations of “fearmongering” and added: ”I don’t see why, when you have a surplus, anyone would be contemplating new taxes.”

She’s right that by dipping into the sustainability fund to the tune of nearly $900 million, the government won’t go into debt.

But this will be the fifth budget in a row in which spending has outpaced income, eroding the savings fund from $15 billion to $3.7 billion after the latest spending spree.

The 7% hike in the 2012 budget rockets spending to a record $41 billion.

What’s troubling is if projections of booming energy revenues — which critics call overly optimistic — don’t play out due to global economic uncertainty, Alberta’s fiscal health could go downhill fast.

While the Tories appear to believe happy days are here again, we’d like to see what they plan to do if global economics again get in the way of Alberta’s ambitions.

Since they’re not willing to bring spending down to a reasonable level, what option do they have other than a tax hike?

If Redford is confident in her government’s fiscal competence, she needs to come clean on her taxation plans before Albertans head to the polls.