On Tuesday April 16th, Albertans elected a United Conservative Party (UCP) government under the leadership of Jason Kenney.
The UCP campaigned on an extensive platform with a series of policies that have the potential to improve the climate for small business in Alberta. Some of these policies include:
- Repealing Alberta’s carbon tax and joining the fight against the federal carbon tax
- Reducing the general business tax rate from 12% to 8% over 4 years
- Introducing a Youth Wage of $13 for those 17 years and younger to encourage employers to hire young workers
- Cutting red tape by one-third over 4 years through:
- Implementing a “one-for-one” rule to constrain the growth of regulations
- Appointing a minister to lead this initiative
- A plan to balance the budget in 4 years
- Ending Alberta’s agreement to increase Canada Pension Plan (CPP) premiums
- Bringing balance back to Alberta’s labour laws for things like banked time, and calculating holiday pay