National

Alberta's Finance Minister Says Low Oil May Delay Programs, Initiatives

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 21 Dec, 2015 11:22 AM

EDMONTON — Alberta Finance Minister Joe Ceci says millions of dollars in initiatives promised by the NDP government may be delayed due to low oil prices.

Ceci said in a year-end interview that he may hit the brakes on some or all of a dozen programs set to begin in the 2016-17 fiscal year.

They include new child-care benefits, cuts in school fees paid by parents, a student summer hiring program and loans for environmental retrofits.

Ceci said that with the price of oil below US$40 a barrel, he is comfortable recommending to cabinet that some or all of the programs be delayed or receive less funding.

The finance minister and his staff are crunching numbers for the next budget which is to be presented in February or March.

This year's current budget forecasts a $6.1-billion deficit.

Prev Next

MORE National ARTICLES

Human-Rights Complaint To Be Launched Against The University Of British Columbia

Glynnis Kirchmeier approached school administrators on multiple occasions, beginning in 2011, after observing instances of alleged sexual misconduct by a fellow student but the university failed to act on her complaints until recently

Human-Rights Complaint To Be Launched Against The University Of British Columbia

Feds Won't Help Air Canada Pick Up $100-Million Sky Marshal Security Tab

The government dismissed the airline's concerns about costs and other aspects of the program earlier this year on the grounds that changes would "compromise public safety."

Feds Won't Help Air Canada Pick Up $100-Million Sky Marshal Security Tab

Smithers Highway Of Tears Gathering: Another Roadblock Or Road To Bus Line?

Eighteen women have been murdered or disappeared along Highway 16 and adjacent routes since the 1970s.

Smithers Highway Of Tears Gathering: Another Roadblock Or Road To Bus Line?

Stephen Colbert Mocks Curling's Directional-Fabric Broom Controversy In Canada

Late Show host Stephen Colbert dedicated six minutes of his monologue on Friday night to the controversy over directional-fabric brooms in curling.

Stephen Colbert Mocks Curling's Directional-Fabric Broom Controversy In Canada

'Intimacy Discount:' Sentences Lighter For Men Who Kill Female Partners

Men who kill their female partners are more likely to be criminally convicted than men accused of killing strangers — but they also tend to get lighter sentences, a Canadian study concludes.