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Alberta Liberal Leader Kevin Taft says if his party wins the March 3 provincial election, the cost of postsecondary tuition would be lowered by about $1,000 a year.

Mr. Taft said Friday that making postsecondary education more affordable and accessible is one of his party's top priorities.

He says there's no better way to invest in improving our quality of life, in our communities, and the economy.

The leader also said a Liberal party government would ease costs with a $300 a year grant for full-time students to help pay for tools and books.

Mr. Taft said his party would improve Alberta's student loan program, such as reducing interest rates to prime.

RETURNING OFFICERS

Earlier on Friday, Mr. Taft said Premier Ed Stelmach should be embarrassed that his Tory party is violating voter trust by taking a direct role in appointing Alberta's returning officers.

These positions are supposed to be non-partisan, but the Tories are appointing dozens of political insiders, including the spouse of a Tory constituency association president, Mr. Taft said.

“The public trust has been broken, the very fundamentals of democracy which require fair and non-partisan administration have been broken. This stinks,” he said.

“You need to remember this is the government that spied on its citizens through the EUB (Energy and Utilities Board, this is the government where executive assistants to cabinet ministers used taxpayer credit cards to go to Vegas, this is the government that ignored advice on royalties.”

Mr. Taft said the Tories are ignoring a 2006 plea from the chief electoral officer that returning officers should be selected independently.

Stelmach spokesman Ron Glen said the Tories are open to reviewing the recommendations of the chief electoral officer.

But he also said these 83 people are being unfairly tarred by the Liberals over the process used for their selection.

Mr. Glens did concede Alberta's current method of selecting returning officers is an “old process.”