Smith, Notley Announce First Pieces of Planned Legislation If Elected Alberta Premier

Leader of the NDP Rachel Notley (L) and Leader of the United Conservative Party Danielle Smith prepare for a debate in Edmonton on May 18, 2023. Jason Franson/The Canadian Press

With only five days remaining until Alberta votes, the two party leaders in the running for premier on May 29 election day have made announcements about their first acts if elected.

New Democrat Party (NDP) Leader Rachel Notley said at a morning news conference on May 25 that if her party was elected, she would call a summer legislative session to pass Bill 1, an act to cap power bills and auto insurance, freeze tuition, and “accelerate $10/day childcare.”

According to Notley, Bill 1 “will save the vast majority of Albertans nearly $1,000.”

The NDP leader said power prices are expected to spike this summer, pledging the NDP will cap them, previously promising in the campaign to do so for a three-month period. Notley said her government, if elected, would also “launch an investigation into electricity prices to improve competitiveness, reliability and affordability.”

Alberta NDP Leader Rachel Notley makes a campaign announcement in Calgary, on May 4, 2023. Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press

Notley also said Bill 1 would freeze car insurance premiums, “re-index and raise benefits for seniors,” and freeze tuition.

She said the NDP would offer a kids activity tax credit, promised to be up to $500 per child, so “kids can pursue the sports, music, dance and other extracurricular activities that help them to grow and learn and enjoy life. This is a real investment in long term affordability so that Albertans will see savings permanently on an ongoing basis.”

Bill 2, said Notley, would be to “repeal the job-killing Sovereignty Act and eliminate small business tax,” and Bill 3 would “legislate to protect your [Canada Pension Plan].”

Notley has also announced that an NDP government will remove the tax on small business, but raise the corporate income tax rate from 8 to 11 percent, an almost 38 percent hike.

Taxpayer Protection

United Conservative Party (UCP) Leader Danielle Smith announced at a news conference on May 24 that a reelected UCP government’s first bill would be the Taxpayer Protection Amendment, which the party said would prevent future governments from raising personal and corporate income taxes without a referendum.

Smith said some of the promised measures she has pledged during her campaign, such as the creation of an 8 percent tax bracket, do not require legislation or a referendum. “The way we’re going to structure this Act is that we can always reduce tax rates. And we don’t need to have a referendum for that,” she said.