Finance Minister says wait until after election to have “real conversation” about revenue

Update from Public Interest Alberta:

We are shocked and offended by the response of this government, with Finance Minister Ron Liepert telling the Calgary Sun that discussing Alberta’s revenue problem will wait until after this election.Kevin Taft’s new book, Follow the Money, presents clear information and analysis, backed by solid research on where Alberta’s wealth is really going. Many Albertans are, quite legitimately, expressing outrage at effectively being ripped off – seeing their province’s wealth go disproportionately to private corporations instead of saving for our children’s futures or addressing the long list of consequences of underfunding public services: growing class sizes; teacher, professor and staff layoffs in our educational institutions; emergency room crises; inadequate supports for those living in poverty; sky-rocketing post-secondary tuition rates and unsustainable student debt loads, etc., etc.In today's Edmonton Journal, Graham Thomson’s column “The tax-reform elephant in the room,” identifies this as “perhaps the most important topic in Alberta politics.” Yet, Minister Liepert, in the Calgary Sun article, speaking on our revenue issues, says, “I think what the premier wants to do, after the election is over, is have a real conversation with Albertans.”This is intolerable. The time for this “real conversation” is now. It is arrogant and undemocratic to suggest that “perhaps the most important issue in Alberta politics” should not be part of debate and decisions during the election, and that instead we should hope that we may get the opportunity to address where Alberta’s billions upon billions are going in some “real conversation” sometime after they expect to be comfortably elected and able to be unresponsive to Albertans’ concerns.Don’t let them get away with this -- take action:If we are going to see meaningful change to care for Albertans and what rightfully belongs to them, then we need to make this an election issue. You can help:

• Write a letter to the editor – demand this election address the real issues
• Spread the word – share the Follow the Money video with your friends, family, and other networks
• Visit BetterWayAlberta.ca, “Like” the facebook page and share the amusing radio ads
• Ask political parties and candidates where they stand
• Share this update (use the icons in the top right corner of this page)

More links:
David Climenhaga’s Alberta Diary blog entry: “Kevin Taft follows Alberta's money and finds out where it all went”
Susan on the Soapbox Blog: “The Coles Notes Version” of Follow the MoneyLinked to in the update:
Calgary Sun article, "No regrets for Liepert"
Follow the Money, on Alpine Book Peddlers
Graham Thomson’s column, “The tax-reform elephant in the room”