Alberta Premier Danielle Smith confirmed her government has followed through on passing the Taxpayer Protection Amendment Act. “Promise kept,” tweeted Smith on Wednesday. “Bill 1 has passed in the legislature, ensuring families and business are protected from future tax hikes without a referendum.”.Smith signed the No Tax Hike Guarantee in April, promising not to increase personal or business taxes if re-elected.READ MORE: UPDATED: Smith pledges to not raise taxes if re-elected“The current Taxpayer Protection Act already provides protection against the introduction of a provincial sales tax,” she said. “But under a UCP (United Conservative Party) government, we will expand the act to include personal and corporate income taxes so no government can increase them without approval from Albertans through a referendum.”The Alberta government introduced legislation that would protect people and businesses against future tax rate increases on October 30. READ MORE: Alberta government tables bill to protect against future tax hikes“Albertans are not interested in higher taxes and that’s one of the reasons they elected us in the spring: we promised to reduce the taxes they pay and protect them from future tax increases,” said Smith.“We are building a strong economy and the stronger that economy is, the higher tax revenue we receive — all while keeping taxes low.” Alberta Treasury Board President and Finance Minister Nate Horner said he was happy to share the Taxpayer Protection Amendment Act passed. “What does this mean for you?” said Horner. “It means no personal or corporate tax hikes without a referendum.”.With the Taxpayer Protection Amendment Act, Horner said Alberta’s tax advantage has been kept. The Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF) applauded the Alberta government for strengthening the Taxpayer Protection Act. “The Taxpayer Protection Act is one of the strongest laws protecting taxpayers in North America, and it’s the reason we don’t have a PST,” said CTF Alberta Director Kris Sims. “If the government wants to raise personal taxes or business taxes, it will need to hold a referendum and hear from the people first.”Sims called this “a landmark win for Alberta taxpayers.” Since the Alberta government has strengthened the Taxpayer Protection Act and committed to fiscal responsibility, she said it will set the province apart when it comes to respecting taxpayers’ money.
