Alberta Budget 2021: What Should Be the Province's Spending Priorities?
Official title: Budget 2021 consultation
Alberta asked residents to weigh in on Budget 2021 priorities during a tough economic period. The province faced a $97.4 billion debt after COVID-19 and oil price crashes. The government wanted to know where to cut costs, what to prioritize, and how to strengthen the economy.
Why This Matters
This was about your tax dollars and the services you rely on. With debt at $22,000 per Albertan, the government was deciding what to cut and what to keep. Health care, education, roads—everything was on the table.
What Could Change
Budget 2021 was tabled on February 27, 2021. Public input shaped decisions on spending cuts, program priorities, and economic recovery measures. The budget addressed the province's path out of record debt.
Key Issues
- Where should the government reduce costs?
- How should revenue be prioritized across programs and services?
- What opportunities exist for government savings?
- How can Alberta strengthen its economy?
How to Participate
- The online survey was open from October 14 to December 4, 2020. This consultation is now closed.
- Telephone town halls were held in late November and early December 2020, allowing Albertans to discuss priorities directly with the Finance Minister.
- Organizations could submit letters and documents via the budget feedback email. Submissions are now closed.
What Happened
Thousands of Albertans participated through an online survey and three telephone town halls with Finance Minister Travis Toews. Businesses and organizations also submitted feedback via email. The input helped inform Budget 2021, which was tabled on February 27, 2021.