(May 16, 2023) — Rachel Notley’s 38 per cent business tax increase will kill hundreds of thousands of Alberta jobs:
“Rachel Notley has admitted she plans to punish Alberta businesses by increasing their tax rate by 38 per cent,” said Fort McMurray-Lac La Biche UCP Candidate Brian Jean. “Albertans deserve better and last time Rachel’s NDP increased taxes like this, Albertan businesses fled the province for 13 consecutive quarters, investors looked the other way, and our revenue plummeted.”
One of the first acts of the Rachel Notley government in 2015 was to increase taxes on job creators by 20 per cent which triggered a job crisis. Their newly promised tax increase on job creators dwarfs their original tax assault on the economy. Under the United Conservatives, the Alberta business tax became the lowest in the country at eight per cent and created an environment that welcomed $729 million in venture capital investment last year alone.
Investment in Alberta is at record levels with companies like Amazon Web Services expanding its global infrastructure with a Data Center Region in Calgary, estimated to create more than 950 new jobs. Air Products Hydrogen Production and Liquefaction Facility will create 2,500 full time jobs. De Havilland announced they will build an aircraft manufacturing and aerodrome near Calgary, which will create 1,500 jobs. IBM Canada picked Calgary as the new location for their Client Innovation Centre, which will create 250 jobs.
Our Alberta is Calling campaign not only brought more talent from coast-to-coast to our province but demonstrated that the Alberta Advantage is back, and we are open for business. We incentivized more job creators to move to Alberta through our competitive tax structure, our affordable housing prices, and our talent and skilled workers.”
“On May 29, Albertans will head to the polls. Albertans deserve a government that can manage the economy and create opportunities for growth, investment, and quality of life,” said Jean. “The NDP has a track record of driving away business, killing jobs, and turning small businesses into no businesses.”
“Albertans do not want to go back to people fleeing our province, to businesses closing their doors, or letting our entrepreneurial spirit suffer like we saw under the NDP,” said Jean. “Rachel Notley will say this plan won’t punish job-creators but her record tells a very different story.”
