Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said government is one factor in the success of private industry. In response, Smith said the Alberta government is doing what it can to support businesses. “To me, this means creating the right conditions, then getting out of the way,” said Smith in a Wednesday speech at the State of the Province Address to the Edmonton Chamber of Commerce (ECC). “So, we’ve put in place Canada’s most competitive tax regime and reduced red tape sharply.” While the Alberta government has made these changes, she said it is paying off. This is because Alberta has Canada’s highest level of per-capita business investment. This year, she said private investment is expected to reach its highest level since 2015. While private investment keeps flowing to Alberta, other provinces have experienced declines. Alberta businesses have created jobs at higher rates than other provinces in the last year. Oil producers have a new outlet because the Trans Mountain Pipeline has been expanded. Smith said all of this “adds up to a sunny outlook for Alberta’s economy.” While this success is experienced across Alberta, she said the Edmonton Metropolitan Region was receiving many benefits. Employment in Edmonton rose by more than 5% last year, contributing almost half of Alberta’s gains. Maclean’s named it one of the most affordable places to live in Canada. Industrial companies from places such as Toronto and Vancouver have said they are relocating to Edmonton because real estate prices are reasonable and the business climate is friendlier. In the first half of this year, Edmonton had the second-highest business growth rate of any Canadian metropolitan area. She pointed out Canada and the rest of the world were noticing these positive signs. Last year, a record 200,000 people moved to Alberta. In some ways, she said it is a nice problem to have. She added this surge means more tax revenues, more investment, and more talent for the labour market in the longer term. However, she said there are negative impacts, such as the immediate strain on public services and infrastructure, in the short term. She confirmed the Alberta government was doing what it could to keep up. One example she offered was with the kindergarten to Grade 12 education system. After years of modest enrolment growth, Alberta has been adding 33,000 new students per year. That was why the Alberta government announced the School Construction Accelerator Program. Over the next three budgets, it will be prioritizing construction of up to 90 new schools and 24 more modernizations or replacements, expanding modular classrooms, and supporting the expansion of charter schools to create more than 200,000 student spaces in the next seven years. So far, it has advanced 10 priority school projects to the next stages of development, including moving one new school and two replacement schools in Edmonton from planning to design. She said it wants to begin construction on more approved projects before the end of this school year. She accused the Canadian government of increasing the cost of living, with the Alberta government responding with relief by pausing auto insurance rate increases, providing seniors with discounts and improved benefits, and taking action to lower utility bills. The Canadian government has continued to uphold its carbon tax. She noted the carbon tax was one of the main drivers of rising costs in Canada, raising food, fuel, and home heating prices. The Alberta government announced it will be taking the Canadian government to court over the home heating oil exemption, as it creates a double standard favouring Eastern Canada. She called the carbon tax “an unnecessary, punitive cost that does nothing to address affordability.” Smith said the Alberta government has a distinct approach to every file. This approach is action over passiveness, practicality over ideology, and progress over stagnation. To solve problems, she said governments should not pretend they do not exist. Rather, she said they should identify root causes, talk to people who understand them, and implement solutions. Smith concluded by saying she would love to talk with attendees about what more the Alberta government needs to do. That is how government is supposed to work. “That’s how our government will continue to work,” she said. ECC President and CEO Doug Griffiths started off the event by saying Edmonton is poised for greatness. “I think that it is important for Edmonton to achieve its full potential for the sake of the city, but for the sake of the province, for the sake of the country,” said Griffiths. “And I think the world needs to know we’re here and what we have to offer, and we’re just about to embark on that.”To elevate that voice, Griffiths acknowledged the ECC will work with other organizations. He said business leaders cannot be lectured to about Edmonton’s greatness, as they have to be voices selling it. Smith followed up by saying many of the Alberta government’s policies have made a positive impact on Edmonton’s business landscape. “I submit we have the best business climate bar none across Canada,” she said. “Our corporate income tax rate is 30% below the next closest province, lower than the combined state and federal rates in 44 US states.” By having few taxes, she said they add to an environment that makes it wonderful to invest. While people come to communities for jobs, she said they stay because of activities to do.Smith said at the State of the Province Address to the ECC in 2023 her government is prepared to put in the work and do whatever it takes to make Alberta the most business-friendly environment in Canada..Smith says she wants to make Alberta most business-friendly Canadian jurisdiction .“We want job creators to succeed so you can do what you do best — create jobs and grow our economy,” she said. She acknowledged the Alberta government was a few days away from the new legislative session, with the Speech from the Throne spelling out its plans. While she could not go into details, she said it was no secret she was looking to increase competitiveness in new, effective ways.
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said government is one factor in the success of private industry. In response, Smith said the Alberta government is doing what it can to support businesses. “To me, this means creating the right conditions, then getting out of the way,” said Smith in a Wednesday speech at the State of the Province Address to the Edmonton Chamber of Commerce (ECC). “So, we’ve put in place Canada’s most competitive tax regime and reduced red tape sharply.” While the Alberta government has made these changes, she said it is paying off. This is because Alberta has Canada’s highest level of per-capita business investment. This year, she said private investment is expected to reach its highest level since 2015. While private investment keeps flowing to Alberta, other provinces have experienced declines. Alberta businesses have created jobs at higher rates than other provinces in the last year. Oil producers have a new outlet because the Trans Mountain Pipeline has been expanded. Smith said all of this “adds up to a sunny outlook for Alberta’s economy.” While this success is experienced across Alberta, she said the Edmonton Metropolitan Region was receiving many benefits. Employment in Edmonton rose by more than 5% last year, contributing almost half of Alberta’s gains. Maclean’s named it one of the most affordable places to live in Canada. Industrial companies from places such as Toronto and Vancouver have said they are relocating to Edmonton because real estate prices are reasonable and the business climate is friendlier. In the first half of this year, Edmonton had the second-highest business growth rate of any Canadian metropolitan area. She pointed out Canada and the rest of the world were noticing these positive signs. Last year, a record 200,000 people moved to Alberta. In some ways, she said it is a nice problem to have. She added this surge means more tax revenues, more investment, and more talent for the labour market in the longer term. However, she said there are negative impacts, such as the immediate strain on public services and infrastructure, in the short term. She confirmed the Alberta government was doing what it could to keep up. One example she offered was with the kindergarten to Grade 12 education system. After years of modest enrolment growth, Alberta has been adding 33,000 new students per year. That was why the Alberta government announced the School Construction Accelerator Program. Over the next three budgets, it will be prioritizing construction of up to 90 new schools and 24 more modernizations or replacements, expanding modular classrooms, and supporting the expansion of charter schools to create more than 200,000 student spaces in the next seven years. So far, it has advanced 10 priority school projects to the next stages of development, including moving one new school and two replacement schools in Edmonton from planning to design. She said it wants to begin construction on more approved projects before the end of this school year. She accused the Canadian government of increasing the cost of living, with the Alberta government responding with relief by pausing auto insurance rate increases, providing seniors with discounts and improved benefits, and taking action to lower utility bills. The Canadian government has continued to uphold its carbon tax. She noted the carbon tax was one of the main drivers of rising costs in Canada, raising food, fuel, and home heating prices. The Alberta government announced it will be taking the Canadian government to court over the home heating oil exemption, as it creates a double standard favouring Eastern Canada. She called the carbon tax “an unnecessary, punitive cost that does nothing to address affordability.” Smith said the Alberta government has a distinct approach to every file. This approach is action over passiveness, practicality over ideology, and progress over stagnation. To solve problems, she said governments should not pretend they do not exist. Rather, she said they should identify root causes, talk to people who understand them, and implement solutions. Smith concluded by saying she would love to talk with attendees about what more the Alberta government needs to do. That is how government is supposed to work. “That’s how our government will continue to work,” she said. ECC President and CEO Doug Griffiths started off the event by saying Edmonton is poised for greatness. “I think that it is important for Edmonton to achieve its full potential for the sake of the city, but for the sake of the province, for the sake of the country,” said Griffiths. “And I think the world needs to know we’re here and what we have to offer, and we’re just about to embark on that.”To elevate that voice, Griffiths acknowledged the ECC will work with other organizations. He said business leaders cannot be lectured to about Edmonton’s greatness, as they have to be voices selling it. Smith followed up by saying many of the Alberta government’s policies have made a positive impact on Edmonton’s business landscape. “I submit we have the best business climate bar none across Canada,” she said. “Our corporate income tax rate is 30% below the next closest province, lower than the combined state and federal rates in 44 US states.” By having few taxes, she said they add to an environment that makes it wonderful to invest. While people come to communities for jobs, she said they stay because of activities to do.Smith said at the State of the Province Address to the ECC in 2023 her government is prepared to put in the work and do whatever it takes to make Alberta the most business-friendly environment in Canada..Smith says she wants to make Alberta most business-friendly Canadian jurisdiction .“We want job creators to succeed so you can do what you do best — create jobs and grow our economy,” she said. She acknowledged the Alberta government was a few days away from the new legislative session, with the Speech from the Throne spelling out its plans. While she could not go into details, she said it was no secret she was looking to increase competitiveness in new, effective ways.
