There was a lively debate on the economic and political aspects of the recent provincial budget at the Institute for Public Economics' Budget Post-Mortem on April 2. The provincial budget, brought down on March 26, included a record provincial budget deficit despite spending cuts and numerous tax increases. The discussion was thoughtful and wide-ranging - from the costs and benefits of the government's decision to not increase the corporate income tax, to the reasons governments find it difficult to save volatile resource revenue in good times.
Panel members at the forum included Scott Hennig, Vice President, Communications, at the Canadian Taxpayers Federation; Kevin Taft, best-selling author and former leader of the Official Opposition in Alberta; Mel McMillan, Professor Emeritus in the Department of Economics; Graham Thomson, columnist at the Edmonton Journal; Mike Dempsey, vice president of the Alberta Union of Public Employees and Bob Ascah, Fellow of the Institute for Public Economics.
Panel members at the forum included Scott Hennig, Vice President, Communications, at the Canadian Taxpayers Federation; Kevin Taft, best-selling author and former leader of the Official Opposition in Alberta; Mel McMillan, Professor Emeritus in the Department of Economics; Graham Thomson, columnist at the Edmonton Journal; Mike Dempsey, vice president of the Alberta Union of Public Employees and Bob Ascah, Fellow of the Institute for Public Economics.