NDP leader Rachel Notley unveil's her party platform from Edmonton's Belgravia Community League on Mar. 31, 2019. (The Canadian Press/Jason Franson)

By Josh Hall (Twitter: @Vancan19)

NDP PLATFORM

Notley and NDP unveil platform that ‘puts jobs and families first’

Mar 31, 2019 | 7:34 PM

NDP Leader Rachel Notley’s party platform announcement was the main event of the the day as the election campaign approaches the two week mark.

From Edmonton, the incumbent premier launched a platform she says puts jobs and families first.

It includes commitments such as building the Trans-Mountain Pipeline expansion, defending public healthcare, and building 70 new schools.

“Mr. Kenney’s plan is a fiscal fairytale that gives a $4.5 billion no-strings attached tax cut to banks and big corporations, privatizes health care, cuts education and turns our backs on diversification,” Notley says. “Two plans. One clear choice.”

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Kenney promised Thursday a UCP government would achieve a $714-million surplus by 2022/23, while the NDP figure they can also balance the books by 2023.

Meantime, the NDP are also promising 2000 new long-term care beds, to eliminate tuition fees for high school upgrading, the creation of a small business investment office, and the banning of conversion therapy. They’ll also accelerate the schedule to extend drinking water infrastructure to First Nations reserves, and give the Elections Commissioner greater latitude to report on investigations.

“Albertans expect their government to act with integrity and to help make their lives better,” said Notley. “A massive corporate tax cut doesn’t do that. Diversification, health care and education do. That’s why these are the key priorities in my plan.”

UCP candidate for Rimbey-Rocky Mountain House-Sundre, and former opposition house leader Jason Nixon responded on behalf of the NDP’s biggest opponent.

Nixon said the platform is more of the same, high debt and low credibility, and that it offers no plan to fight back in support of needed pipelines.

“Albertans are worse off today than they were just four years ago as the result of NDP mismanagement, and the plan offered by an out-of-touch NDP simply fails to address the issues facing our province today,” said Nixon.

“Yesterday, United Conservatives put forward a credible and comprehensive plan to get Albertans back to work and address the challenges facing our province – but today’s NDP plan only offers more of the same from an out-of-touch NDP that’s out of ideas.”

Nixon acknowledges that the NDP platform promises a balanced budget, but points out they promised it would be balanced by 2018, back in 2015.

“Four years ago, Albertans put an end to 44 years of one-party rule and asked me and my team to focus on what matters — good jobs, good schools, good hospitals in a more diversified and resilient economy,” Notley added, referring to the 2015 election that ended Progressive Conservative rule stretching back to 1971.

Voting day is April 16.

(with files from The Canadian Press, and NDP & UCP media releases)