EDMONTON, AB (October 4, 2011): Premier-designate Alison Redford needs to start acting on her promise to move towards a balanced budget and reverse her decision to cancel the fall session, the Wildrose Caucus said today.

Redford, who cancelled the fall session of the Alberta Legislature and backtracked on a March 2012 election date less than 24 hours after becoming PC leader, hasn’t been sworn into office and hadn’t even met with her caucus when she made the unilateral decision to raid Alberta’s savings account to fill a $107-million hole in the education budget.

“Clearly, Alberta parents want to see more teachers hired for our children,” Wildrose Leader Danielle Smith said. “But that isn’t an excuse to throw us deeper into deficit and raid the sustainability fund when there are billions of dollars in government waste we can redirect to eliminate the deficit and fill the education funding gap.”

Instead of dipping into the Sustainability Fund, Redford could come up with the $107 million in the current budget envelope by eliminating $970,000 in cabinet pay raises, cutting the $2 billion carbon capture and storage grants, delaying the Royal Alberta Museum ($340 million) and scrapping new MLA offices ($275 million).

“In addition to acting in a fiscally irresponsible manner on this issue, Ms. Redford is also showing contempt for the democratic process,” Wildrose House Leader Rob Anderson said. “First she cancels the Legislature for nine months, then she backtracks on her March fixed election date promise, and now she approves $107 million without a second of debate in the Legislature or her caucus about what waste could be cut to offset that amount.”

The Wildrose Caucus stands for free enterprise, less government, increased personal freedom and democracy.

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For further information or to arrange an interview, media are invited to contact:

Brock Harrison

Director of Communications, Wildrose Caucus

Ph: 780-399-2890