Red Deer-South MLA Jason Stephan addresses members of the Red Deer and District Chamber of Commerce Tuesday morning to talk about Budget 2020 released on Feb. 27. (rdnewsNOW/Sheldon Spackman)

By Sheldon Spackman and Dan Hermanutz

Budget Discussion

MLA Stephan talks Budget 2020 with Chamber members

Mar 10, 2020 | 5:45 PM

The MLA for Red Deer-South says the province may have to revisit some of its numbers in the wake of a major drop in oil prices.

However, Jason Stephan told an audience of 65 at a Red Deer and District Chamber of Commerce breakfast Tuesday morning that despite recent events, the government remains committed to balancing its books by 2022-2023.

When Budget 2020 was announced Feb. 27, it was good news for Red Deer as the City learned it would be getting two crucial pieces of infrastructure – phase one of an expanded Red Deer Regional Hospital, including a cardiac catheterization lab, and a 24-hour integrated shelter.

But with oil price wars and the expanding impact of COVID-19, Stephan admits an already tight budget may get even tighter.

“It is a challenge. This is an evolving situation,” he said. “It’s hard to measure the duration of these challenges, both in respect of the coronavirus and in respect of the oil war.

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“That is not sustainable forever by Saudi Arabia,” Stephan said of the oil price war, “because they rely on oil revenues much more than Alberta and Canada as a whole.”

Regardless of events happening world-wide, Stephan says the province will continue being respectful stewards of taxpayer dollars.

“Of course with these recent developments, we will take them into account over the coming days and weeks as we consider how we can even be that much better as a government in supporting the private sector, because without a private sector, there is no money to pay for government.”

Stephan noted that the $100 million in expansion funding announced for Red Deer Regional Hospital Centre on Feb. 27 was based purely on merit and need.

“This was not a last minute decision, this decision had been made months ago,” he explained. “When the Premier was here during the election, he said that hospital infrastructure spending decisions would be based in a non-political way based on merit and need, and it’s because of that, that the hospital was supported.”

Stephan says there are many people and organizations to thank for advocating for that funding.

“This is a very exciting course correction that frankly, is a long time coming and has not happened for years.”

With funding for a 24-hour shelter in Red Deer also announced in Budget 2020, Stephan describes it as a desperately needed service for the community.

“But it’s really important that we do it in the right way, that we do not perpetuate some of the challenges that we’ve seen in our city, but use it as an opportunity to be that much better in making sure we have a balanced and principled approach,” he cautioned, “supporting those individuals who are seeking to become more self-reliant, including becoming free of their addictions while respecting families and businesses in our community.”

As post-secondary institutions across the province readjust their finances following last month’s budget, Stephan assured those at the Chamber breakfast that RDC remains on-track to becoming Red Deer University (RDU).

“I’m very supportive of Red Deer College seeking to become a university and become more self-reliant and meet the needs of central Albertans in a better way,” he said. “We need to make sure that we do it in the right way in terms of making sure that we provide education opportunities for our young adults, so that when they graduate, they have the skills and knowledge so they’re able to have good jobs and be self-reliant.”

Also on Tuesday, Minister of Finance Travis Toews addressed members of the Rotary Club of Red Deer East during a lunchtime event at the Pidherney Curling Centre.