The first order of business for a re-elected UCP government would be the Taxpayer Protection Amendment Act, or Bill 1, Danielle Smith vowed in Calgary Wednesday..Speaking at a media availability, Smith said the legislation would ensure no government would be able to increase personal taxes or “taxes on job creators” without a referendum. She said it would expand on the Act’s present protections against a provincial sales tax. .In response to a question, she said it means moving ahead with a new tax bracket for those making less than $60,000 per year — which would save families up to $1,500 per working couple while saving everyone else about 20% on their tax bills. Bill 1 would also maintain the corporate tax rate of 8%. NDP leader Rachel Notley has proposed raising it to 11% or some 38% to fund her platform..In all, Smith said the moves put $3 billion directly into Albertans’ pockets, including $1 billion in direct tax cuts..In addition to a billion-dollar tax cut, Smith said the UCP has included targeted affordability measures, like a 25% discount for seniors on camping and all personal registry fees. The UCP is also extending the fuel tax Holiday until the end of this year which amounts to 13 cents per litre at the pump. .By contrast, Rachel Notley hiked business taxes 20% in 2019, drove up debt, drove out jobs, and drove Albertans to seek opportunity elsewhere. “And with her newly proposed 38 per cent tax hike on job creators, it looks like she’s trying to double down,” Smith said..According to their own projections, Rachel Notley and the NDP’s 38 per cent tax hike will burden Alberta job creators with more than six billion dollars in additional costs over three years—leading to more costs passed on to consumers and families, employee layoffs, and businesses and investors fleeing the province..Smith said the results of NDP policies would burden the business community — or “job creators” as she called them — with more than $6 billion over three years. Bill 1 would prevent future governments from raising taxes without a referendum and only if circumstances warranted..By contrast, the legislation would leave the door open for future tax cuts..“The way we’re going to structure it is that we can always reduce taxes,” she said. “The only way it would change is if (a future government) put it to a referendum.”.“Elections are about choices,” Smith said, noting it all adds up to “a $7.5 billion choice.”
