Danielle Smith and the United Conservative Party pledge to not raise taxes. (Photo: Danielle Smith Facebook)

By Sarah Jones

Danielle Smith promises to not raise taxes if re-elected

Apr 26, 2023 | 12:46 PM

EDMONTON, AB – Danielle Smith is making a promise to Albertans if re-elected in the upcoming provincial election.

The United Conversative Party (UCP) leader has signed a No Tax Hike Guarantee, a pledge that the government will not increase personal or business taxes.

She has also encouraged all candidates in the UCP to sign the pledge.

Premier Smith said in a release, “The best way to support Albertans during difficult economic times is to keep personal and business taxes low. Higher taxes would only serve to stifle economic growth and reduce job opportunities, making everything less affordable for everyday Albertans.”

If re-elected in May, the party would also expand the Taxpayer Protection Act to include personal and business income taxes to ensure no future government could increase income taxes without approval from Albertans in a referendum.

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The Taxpayer Protection Act already prohibits the introduction of a sales tax without a referendum.

The UCP also promised that it would not put forward the introduction of a provincial sales tax.

According to the UCP, under their government, business taxes were decreased, and as a result, businesses flourished and corporate income revenues reached record levels.

Ana Zagorac, owner of Sweet Rhapsody Bakery Cafe and Patisserie in Calgary, said, “Alberta is without a doubt one of the best places in the world to own and run a business, in no small part to the low tax, business-friendly environment that the UCP government has created.”

She continued, “With a steady and low corporate tax rate that I can bank on, I can plan for the future and make long-term decisions to ensure my business can keep adding to Alberta’s economy, creating jobs, supporting my community, and keeping this province strong for the next generation. This No Tax Hike commitment means we’ll have more to reinvest in our business, improving the customer experience and ultimately creating more jobs.”

The UCP said in its report that lowered taxes have restored confidence in Alberta as there have been six consecutive quarters of people and businesses coming to the province.

Smith added, “By working together, we can build a stronger, more prosperous Alberta that benefits everyone. With our No Tax Hike Guarantee, the United Conservative Party is committed to providing stability to Alberta’s job-creators and taxpayers. We hope Rachel Notley and the NDP will make the same pledge. I challenge them to do so now.”

In its announcement, the UCP took shots at the Alberta New Democratic Party (NDP) for increasing business taxes by 20 per cent when the party was last in power from 2015 to 2019.

Read more at LethbridgeNewsNow.com