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Originally Posted by SebC
Interesting. I feel this makes my point. Alberta needs to spend above average.
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Well when you start there you might as well just throw out any semblance of fiscal conservatism.
Based on our foolish and wasteful past, Alberta needs to spend less and stop causing needless inflationary increases across the country. (see: BC teachers strike)
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There are many ways in which this is possible: population growth creating above-average infrastructure requirements, spending directed to other things instead of infrastructure, undertaxation. The funny thing is your analysis completely ignores what our infrastructure requirements are. But if you look at how we closed hospitals (in Calgary) then had to expand and build new ones to get that capacity back, I don't know how anyone can say we never had an infrastructure deficit.
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Well you are using anecdotes to try and prove a point. But you ignore the undeniable fact that even when we closed hospitals we were spending more than our neighbors who were building new hospitals. Where did the money go?
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If you want an example of a current infrastructure deficit, well Highway 63 (the one that goes to Fort McMurray) is a good example. Let's see: boom creates population growth and commercial activity. This boom creates a lot of revenues for the province, but the province doesn't put those revenue into twinning the highway fast enough. Now, it's the deadliest highway in Alberta and a huge problem. This is how a growth drives infrastructure demands. It's an infrastructure deficit because we are behind on needed construction.
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Once again, painting a needed infrastructure project as a deficit doesn't prove anything. Of course people need roads and hospitals. But why does it cost us 50% more per person to provide those things than it did 10 years ago, when inflation has been only 10%?
Why do we need to outspend our neighbours by huge amounts in order to deliver the same services? Saskatchewan and BC have both seen similar growth profiles, and yet we have far outspent the both of them. Their limitations would be very similar to ours and they would face identical inflation factors.
Ignoring the fact that road construction isn't noticably more expensive in Alberta versus Saskatchewan or BC (within 5%), you will find in the Wildrose platform they fully support continuous and predictable funding of vertical infastructure like road construction, something the PC's haven't done and may be one explanation as to why they have wasted so much capital.
I have to wonder why nobody cares how much has been squandered by the current government. You all claim about a lack of infrastructure, yet the facts are plain: we pay far more for infrastructure than any province, double the average, and yet don't see a return on that investment. And your solution is to..... Give them MORE money??