Minister of Finance Ron Liepert and Treasury Board president Doug Horner were at the Bold Center last Tuesday evening to talk to invited community members about Alberta’s 2012 budget. Lac La Biche was part of a three-day, seven-city tour that also included Edmonton, Grande Prairie, Red Deer, Lethbridge, and Medicine Hat.
As the invited members trickled in – some sporting logos for petroleum companies, most middle-aged and well-dressed – the Post was allowed an interview with Liepert and Horner before the meeting, but not entry to the discussion itself.
“In marketing and in other surveys you’ll do focus groups to complement the survey,” Horner said. “And that’s something that’s well-received and well-respected as a good way to get the feel of your audience. That’s really what we’re out to do – to get the feel of Albertans as to where they’d like to see the budget go.”
He said the meetings were a way for the PC government to get feedback on what Albertan’s want to see in the upcoming 2012-2013 budget, adding that people who weren’t invited to the roundtables can still contribute to budget discussions by completing an online survey, writing, or contacting their MLAs. By the time they made it to the Bold Center, Liepert and Horner had already had similar meetings in Edmonton and Grande Prairie and were planning on flying to Red Deer after.
When asked if a list of the attendees or a report of their comments will be made public, Liepert said the results will be reflected in the upcoming budget.
“What we’ve been saying is the compilation made here will be in the budget document,” he said. “And I don’t think we’ve got any intention to do anything beyond that. In many ways it would be hard to write a report … I think this is more about listening, rather than writing a report, and ultimately that report will be the budget.”
Lac La Biche-St. Paul MLA Ray Danyluk hand-picked the attendees of Tuesday’s meeting. He told the Post he tried to get the best possible cross-section, and that there were people from Wainright, Vermillion, Vegreville, Fort McMurray, Bonnyville, Athabasca, Lac La Biche, and more. The invited members were chosen for their diverse backgrounds, differing age groups, and experience in oil and gas, health, agriculture, and other industries, Danyluk said.
In the discussions, having a handle on the operating budget and investment in infrastructure were seen as “critically important,” the MLA said.
“People were saying, don’t get too hung up on balancing the budget – invest in education, invest in people, and invest in the future of this province.”
Danyluk noted that not one person in the Tuesday meeting said they wanted the PC government to save for the future. Instead, the theme of investment – in infrastructure, in education, and in health care – reoccurred throughout the evening.
Another person who was at the meeting was Lac La Biche County Mayor Peter Kirylchuk, who was invited to attend as a private citizen. Kirylchuk estimates that there were 40 to 50 people in the meeting, which was great exposure for Lac La Biche and the Bold Center. Like Danlyuk, Kirylchuk said the attendees weren’t overly concerned with balancing the budget, instead focused on infrastructure deficiencies.
“And they absolutely wanted to make sure that health care and education were well looked after,” he added.
A Government of Alberta news release says the roundtables will be supplemented by a public survey and written submissions, which are available at www.alberta.ca until Dec. 9.
