BARLEY RISOTTO WITH MUSHROOMS
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OILERS FALL TO WILD
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Red Deer Advocate WEDNESDAY, OCT. 28, 2015
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Mixed reviews
$6.1 BILLION DEFICIT
LOCAL OPINIONS DIVIDED AFTER NDP RELEASE FIRST BUDGET BY PAUL COWLEY ADVOCATE STAFF Central ntral Alberta budget watchers saw some positives in the NDP’ss spending plans. wever, concerns remain about the size of the projected debt However, he government’s rosy economic projections. and the d Deer and District Chamber of Commerce gave the budget a Red ty good” rating. “pretty “It was good to see stable and predictable funding for things nfrastructure, health and education,” said Reg Warkentin, like infrastructure, y co-ordinator for the chamber. policy We did a survey back in February and we heard pretty re“We dingly that our members did not want to see cuts in service in soundingly those areas.” wever, there is concern about the debt levels envisioned by However, DP government, which will hit $47 million by around 2019-20. the NDP udget is not projected to be balanced until the same year. The budget hat’s always alarming. But it was good to see the spending “That’s ols they put in place, to really make that strong commitment controls hey are going to get spending under control and just basicalthat they rease it with inflation.” ly increase e government has committed to bringing in legislation capThe ping borrowing at 15 per cent of GDP. Small- and medium-sized businesses might also benefit from budget initiatives offering improved access to capital, although the details are still unclear. A $5,000 employment credit may also be useful for businesses on the cusp of hiring. Access to labour and capital are the biggest challenges for many entrepreneurs, he said. A proposed increase in corporate taxes was unveiled months ago and was no surprise. There is some uneasiness that the government is still turning to its Heritage Fund savings to help make ends meet. As well, it is clear resource revenue is being banked on to provide a major source of future revenue. Red Deer Mayor Tara Veer said the city is “satisfied” with the government’s spending program, which does not hold any surprises for the current budget year. Questions remain about the government’s future plans, both in municipal grant levels and support for big-ticket capital projects, such as a south Red Deer overpass, the north highway connection across the river and a new courthouse. The city remains hopeful those projects and local schools will be included in the government’s plan to increase infrastructure spending.
SEE MORE BUDGET COVERAGE ON PAGE A5 Photo by THE CANADIAN PRESS
Alberta Finance Minister Joe Ceci speaks during a press conference prior to the official release of the 2015 provincial budget in Edmonton on Tuesday
ALBERTA BUDGET HIGHLIGHTS BY THE NUMBERS
per cent a year over the next four years, while expenses will be held to two per cent a year.
EDMONTON -- Alberta’s NDP government tabled its first budget Tuesday. Here is a look at some of the numbers:
— West Texas Intermediate, the benchmark price of oil, is budgeted to average US$50 barrel this fiscal year, then $61 and $68 in the following two years. It currently sits at about $43.
— A $6.1-billion deficit on revenues of $43.8 billion and expenses of $49.9 billion. The plan is for a $5.4-billion deficit next year, then a $4.4-billion deficit and a $2.1-billion deficit followed by a $1-billion surplus in fiscal 2019-2020. — The four largest ministries -- Health, Education, Advanced Education and Human Services -- consume 75 per cent of all operational spending. — Revenue is projected to grow by six
Please see BUDGET on Page A2
— Resource revenue for 2015-16 is down $6 billion from the previous year. — Tax changes and new revenue initiatives are expected to bring in $1.5 billion this fiscal year and $2.3 billion a year in the following two years. — Alberta’s contingency account is to drop to $3.3 billion from $6.5 billion this year and is expected to be drained by 2017.
Several pigs killed after semi rolls BY CRYSTAL RHYNO ADVOCATE STAFF Seven pigs suffocated and two others were euthanized after a semi carrying 130 pigs rolled on Hwy 11 on Tuesday morning. Red Deer County Technical Rescue, which answers extrication calls involving large animals including horses, cattle and swine was called in around 10:30 a.m. after reports of a rollover with livestock on Hwy 11 near Burnt Lake Trail. Don Huestis, the Protective Services Manager for the Red Deer County, said the pigs were trapped in the trailer and the survivors were safely extricated and loaded into four small trailers. “It was traumatic but more traumatic for the animals themselves, which of course is one of our concerns,” said Huestis. “We want to get them safely out but unfortunately seven of them had suffocated because of the way the trailer is compartmentalized. The space in the trailer was diminished because it was on its side.” The driver was not injured. A veterinarian with the Prairie Swine Health Services was on scene helping with the animals. The pigs were from the Hutterite Colony in Torrington. The truck was severely damaged. Huestis said the pigs were likely headed for Olymel. The eastbound lanes on Hwy 11 were closed for about three hours. Huestis said the county’s technical rescue is typically called out for water rescue or missing persons. Huestis said livestock rescue is not very common.
WEATHER Sunny. High 6. Low -2
FORECAST ON A2
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Photo by JEFF STOKOE/Advocate staff
Crews from the City of Red Deer Emergency Services, Red Deer County Livestock Response Unit, RCMP, and Traffic enforcement officers along with Hutterites from the Torrington Colony work at the scene of a tractor trailer rollover accident Tuesday. At 10:11 a.m. the east bound tractor trailer unit carrying 130 hogs overturned just east of entrance to the Blindman Industrial Area west of the QEII on Highway 11. Seven of the hogs died after being suffocated inside the trailer. Two more animals were put down by veterinarian Dr. Egan Brockhoff who attended the scene and determined them to be severely injured in the crash.
Community praised in wake of tragedy Politicians praised the community of Tofino, B.C. for their support following the deaths of five people on the weekend. Story on PAGE C2
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