Alberta Minister of Health and Seniors Sarah Hoffman is shown during her swearing-in ceremony in Edmonton on May 24, 2015. Alberta's NDP government says it will spend an extra $682 million to reverse health-care cuts and fund larger school enrolment. Hoffman says details on where the money will come from will be in the fall budget.Jason Franson/The Canadian Press
Alberta's NDP government is spending an extra $682 million in the next five months to reverse health-care cuts and fund larger school enrolment.
Health Minister Sarah Hoffman said Thursday that details on where the money will come from will be in the fall budget.
"We're working towards ensuring there's additional revenue, but Albertans made it very clear during the election that they did not want to see cuts to health care and education and human services," said Hoffman.
"This announcement is this government's commitment to fulfilling the mandate that Albertans gave us on May 5th (in the election)."
Hoffman said it's expected that deficit financing will be used to cover the cost, but noted the government will also debate a bill in this legislature sitting to raise funds by increasing taxes for large corporations and wealthy individuals.
Hoffman made the announcement alongside fellow cabinet ministers Lori Sigurdson (advanced education), David Eggen (education) and Irfan Sabir (human services).
The lion's share of the money, $500 million, is to go to health to reverse $1 billion in planned cuts under the former Progressive Conservative government.
There will be $40 million to, among other initiatives, reverse proposed cuts in advanced education, increase base funding for post-secondary schools by two per cent, freeze tuition for two years and cancel market modifiers recently approved by the Tories for 25 programs.
"Post-secondary education has to be accessible and that includes keeping it affordable for students and families," said Sigurdson.
There will be an extra $103 million to follow up on a promise made by the NDP last month to give schools the money to handle thousands of new students from kindergarten to Grade 12 this fall.
There is an extra $39 million for Sabir's department for a variety of programs, including housing and outreach services for women and children fleeing family violence.
The new cash is part of an interim supply bill being debated in the legislature. It proposes $15.4 billion in spending to keep the government operating until the New Democrats bring in a budget in October.
The Tories introduced a budget for the 2015-16 fiscal year just before the election, but lost the vote and are now the third party in the house. That budget called for $48.4 billion in spending.
The new money announced by the NDP would be on top of that.
Hoffman said the plan still is for the government to get rid of budget deficits by 2019.
The New Democrats said in the election campaign they would run a budget deficit of $5.4 billion this year. Premier Rachel Notley said this week the plan is to stick closely to that number.