REDFORD’S TAX HIKE AGENDA COMING INTO FOCUS

EDMONTON, AB (November 18, 2011): After a long string of broken promises, Premier Alison Redford can’t be trusted to keep her word not to introduce a Provincial Sales Tax, especially while several MLAs in her cabinet and caucus clearly favour tax hikes, Wildrose Finance Critic Rob Anderson said.

Three of Alberta’s last four Finance Ministers have now raised the idea, including Redford’s hand-picked “important advisor” Ron Liepert, who earlier this week said Alberta should consider a PST “sooner instead of later.” It wasn’t Liepert’s first PST musing. Two years ago, he said “I’m not ruling anything out,” when asked about raising taxes.

In 2009, then Finance Minister Iris Evans said, “We’re not saying no to tax increases.” She also told MLAs in the Legislature, “We may have to increase taxes down the road.”

Evans’ successor as Finance Minister Ted Morton, now Redford’s Energy Minister, said he was “looking at all the options” when asked about a PST. And Doug Griffiths, then the junior Finance Minister and now Municipal Affairs Minister after a promotion from Redford, has repeatedly espoused a PST.

“This is a government that clearly wants to raise taxes in order to pay for its reckless spending,” Anderson said. “Given Ms. Redford’s continued track record of broken promises, Albertans aren’t buying her no-PST pledge. She continues to show she will say anything to get elected, even when she has no intention of keeping those promises.”

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:

Evan Menzies

Communications Assistant, Wildrose Caucus

Ph: 780-904-4913