URGENT - Stop the Stelmach PC sales tax!

Dear Albertans,


For months, we've wondered how the Stelmach PCs were going to pay for their massive overspending. After bringing in the largest budgetary deficit in Alberta's history and continuing spending increases at twice the rate of inflation, conservatives across the province have been demanding explanations from the PC Government.

We now have the answer - Ed Stelmach and the PC government are seriously examining implementing an Alberta Sales Tax.

In late August, PC Finance Minister Ted Morton publicly mused about implementing a Provincial Sales Tax in Alberta, saying he was "looking at all the options we have for smoothing out revenue volatility" (QMI Agency, August 25, 2010). When Albertans rightly took him to task for suggesting yet another new tax on our families, PC Premier Ed Stelmach was quick to denounce the comments of his Finance Minister.

However, just yesterday we learned how advanced the Alberta Sales Tax agenda is for the PC government. MLA Doug Griffiths, Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Finance, announced that the government wants to examine the issue closely, saying "things have changed in the last few decades when it comes to the province's balance sheet" (660 News, October 27, 2010).

This has become a pattern: back in June 2009, Treasury Board president Lloyd Snelgrove said he wasn't thinking about a sales tax "this year." Not very reassuring, is it?
The PCs know that there are only two ways to balance Alberta's budget - they can either cut spending, or they can raise taxes.

It seems clear which path they're following.

We in the Wildrose believe that the last thing Alberta's families and seniors need is another new tax. A Provincial Sales Tax would be a new tax on everything in our province. We've stated clearly that Alberta doesn't have a revenue problem - it has a spending problem! A Wildrose government would limit the growth of government spending to inflation and population growth, cut out layers of middle management in the public service, and adopt new models for service delivery.

We need your help to stop Stelmach's new tax on everything - your donation today will allow us to fund our campaign to spread the message about what the PC Government is doing behind closed doors. Please click here to make a tax-deductible donation to the Wildrose now.

Thanks for your support - together, we can keep Alberta Sales Tax free!


P.S. With their majority in both the Legislature and on Committees, the Stelmach PCs could force through a new Provincial Sales Tax at virtually any time. We need your donation today to mount an effective campaign against this new tax. Please donate today - thanks for your support!