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Finance Minister Travis Toews. (Canadian Press)

Province opening budget consultations

Dec 3, 2021 | 1:03 PM

LETHBRIDGE, AB – You can have your say on how the Alberta Government should manage its finances over the coming year.

In addition to an online survey that is open now, Finance Minister Travis Toews says he will be hosting a series of telephone town halls in January.

“The budget decisions the government makes now will help cement our province’s economic and fiscal recovery and lead to a more stable and prosperous future for all Albertans. I’m looking forward to working with individuals across the province as we renew our focus on supporting jobs and growth while also searching for new ways to ensure our core programs and services are efficient and sustainable over the long term.”

Earlier this week, the provincial government gave its mid-year fiscal update, which shows the budget deficit for the end of this year being an estimated $5.8-billion. That is about one-third of where previous projections had us by this time.

With a total debt burden of $97.4-billion, that equals more than $22,000 per Albertan.

READ MORE: High-flying oil and gas prices paint a rosier shade of red ink on Alberta budget

The province is accepting budget submissions until January 15.

You can learn more about the consultation methods and take part in the survey through this link.