A look at Alberta's new budget bill
Alberta Finance Minister Nate Horner introduced a bill to implement some items in the province's proposed budget. If passed, Bill 39 includes measures like an eight per cent tax bracket for income under $60,000 and changes to legal aid and income support programs. Travis McEwan breaks down what Albertans can expect.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Calgary Herald
2 hours ago
- Calgary Herald
Bell: 6 out of 10 Danielle Smith voters would likely vote to leave Canada
Article content The arithmetic rolls out. The devil is in the details. The fine print is where you get the meat and potatoes. Article content The latest from ThinkHQ polling. Article content Article content The question. If a provincial referendum was held tomorrow asking Albertans if they would like to remain in Canada or become an independent country, how would you most likely vote? Article content The top number is just the appetizer. Article content REMAIN. 64 per cent. LEAVE. 29 per cent. The rest are unsure. Article content Article content When the question is whether a person would consider supporting Alberta leaving Canada, the number who would consider backing an exit from Confederation goes to 36 per cent. Article content Article content That's the number you could reach if, in the words of ThinkHQ's Marc Henry, it is a 'particularly angry at Ottawa day' and there are many of those on the calendar. Article content Just so you know, in a recent nose count in Quebec on sovereignty for that province it was NO. 59 per cent. YES. 32 per cent. Article content Let's dig into the Alberta math. The main course. Red meat on the menu. Article content REMAIN. 31 per cent. LEAVE. 58 per cent. 11 per cent are unsure. Article content Think about it. Article content 'There is a healthy majority of UCP voters from the last election who would vote for an independent Alberta if they had the chance tomorrow,' says pollster Henry. Article content Article content Article content 'Yes, you should be stunned,' says Henry. Article content 'Among conservative voters in Alberta there is a level of alienation right now that is palpable.' Article content Smith did really lower the number of Albertans needed to sign a petition to get a vote on independence. The number is 177,000 signatures and organizers on the independence side say they will easily get that number. Article content 'There is a level of anger within the UCP and it's got to go somewhere and I think that's why Smith has greased the skids to facilitate a referendum if that's what people want,' says the cruncher of numbers.
Global News
6 hours ago
- Global News
Price of beef in Alberta keeps rising, cost linked to cow supply: economist
The rising cost of groceries is something all Albertans are experiencing whether they eat meat or not, but for people in the province who consume beef, the price increase is likely particularly noticeable. In a post on ATB Financial's website this week, the financial institution's deputy chief economist said the increased costs faced by beef consumers are linked to high consumer demand coupled with the decreasing number of cows across the country. He added that because rebuilding the herd will take time, 'beef prices are likely to stay elevated for some time to come.' 'According to Statistics Canada, the Canadian cattle herd hasn't been as small as it was at the start of 2025 since 1988 (1994 in Alberta),' Rob Roach wrote. 'In the United States, the cattle herd is the smallest it has been in 73 years.' Story continues below advertisement View image in full screen Cattle stand in a pasture on a farm in Alberta Thursday, Nov. 30, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh Roach noted Statistics Canada data reveals that the average price of cattle for slaughter in Alberta was 14 per cent higher in April compared to the same time last year, while the price of cattle for feeding was 26 per cent higher. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy 'In both cases, the monthly price was the highest it has ever been,' he wrote. The finance chair of a non-profit that represents Alberta beef producers told Global News on Thursday that the people her organization represents have been dealing with the challenges of inflation, drought and wildfires in the last few years. Brenda Rosadiuk of Alberta Beef Producers said some farmers' pastures have burned in wildfires. 'You don't have the forage for your cattle (if it burns),' she explained. 'Your hay land isn't producing. Story continues below advertisement 'It affects your feed (because) you still cover the same amount of land to make your hay. You still have those input costs but you're not getting the production.' Rosadiuk said while Alberta producers are grateful when beef prices are up, they realize there are 'difficult decisions for shoppers now when they go to the grocery store.' 'You have to make good budget decisions,' she acknowledged of the challenges facing consumers. 'The high prices are a boon for the cow/calf sector but can be challenging for the feedlot and packing sectors,' Roach wrote. For people still wanting to eat beef but on a budget, Rosadiuk recommended buying cheaper cuts of beef and then slow cooking them to make them more tender. — with files from Global News' Erik Bay
Calgary Herald
7 hours ago
- Calgary Herald
Alberta's new access to information rules come into effect
Alberta's new access to information rules that the province characterizes as modernizing dated legislation but critics say permit more government secrecy came into force Wednesday following the approval of four orders – in – council. Article content The Access to Information Act was first introduced by Service Alberta Minister Dale Nally last November and was passed by the legislature and received royal assent the following month. Article content Article content Article content Wednesday's orders-in-council come six months later and proclaim the new legislation into force while also setting out new regulations for the act. Article content Article content 'Access to information plays a vital role in ensuring public confidence and trust in the integrity of government institutions,' reads a statement from Nally's office. Article content 'The regulations and policies that will support the Access to Information Act will help secure that trust by demonstrating the government's open and accessible approach to handling official records and enabling and encouraging government departments to proactively disclose more information to Albertans.' Article content The act replaces the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act by splitting it into two, with the new Protection of Privacy Act also coming into force on Wednesday. Article content Nally has cited the need to overhaul the prior legislation that hadn't been updated in two decades, including by creating a new central website, Transparency Alberta, that includes information about government decisions, spending, and activities, though not a database of completed information requests as seen in other Canadian governments. Article content Article content 'We expect that the number of records available through Transparency Alberta will grow,' Nally said. Article content The new rules have been criticized as further limiting what information can be disclosed. Article content They exempt communications between political staff and ministers as not disclosable, with the regulations defining political staff as 'an employee, other than an employee appointed under the Public Service Act, who holds a position in the Office of the Premier or an office of a member of the Executive Council (cabinet).' Article content The former timeline for the government to respond to an access to information request is also extended from 30 calendar days to 30 business days.
