[Bunk]

It's not whether we want one or not, it's that we need one.

Quite simply, the "Alberta Advantage" is artificial, we're using volatile royalty revenues to pay for normal operating expenses to support unsustainably low taxes. It's irresponsible and unfair to future generations living in this province.

Now of course the Province should look to reduce spending, including looking at public sector compensation, but that will not be enough to close the structural problem we have.

It will require more taxation revenue - increased income/corporate tax rates, a sales tax, more user fees - very likely all of the above.

I'd like to see the calculation of income tax rate changes and different levels of sales tax (and combinations of both) to gain the amount of revenue we need to essentially replace royalties. Then we should have a principle that royalties only going toward savings, advancing capital projects strategically, reducing any debt and economic diversification.