EDMONTON - Despite Premier Kenney’s audacious trumpeting that 2022 is a turnaround year for Alberta, many Albertans are struggling with the escalating affordability crisis.
“Cost of living and interest rates are exploding,” said Bradley Lafortune, Executive Director of Public Interest Alberta. “Working people are having a tough time right now. Wages are just not going as far as they used to. It’s a struggle to afford necessities like food, gas, utilities, rent or mortgage, nevermind being able to save for the future. It seems callous for Kenney to herald now as a great time for Alberta, when in reality, so many are suffering.”
According to the Consumer Debt Index, over half of Alberta households are within $200 of not being able to pay their financial obligations at the end of the month. Alberta leads the nation in this grim figure.
“Even for people in a relatively stable financial position now, a broken-down car or an illness could spell disaster,” said Lafortune. “The government has all but abandoned Albertans during this time. From refusing to extend a ban on utilities service cut-offs, to selling off public housing, to gutting the public services Albertans need and rely on, the UCP have made life harder, not easier.”
“Albertans deserve better than going to bed at night with their stomach in knots about how they will afford their needs,” said Lafortune. “They need the government to step up during this crisis.”
