Day two of the Alberta election campaign kicked off with party leaders unveiling their plans for the future of the province.

NDP

In Edmonton, Rachel Notley announced the New Democrat plan to double incentives for petrochemical and upgrading projects over the next 10 years from $3.6 to $7 billion.

The party estimates the increase will create an additional 70,000 jobs by 2030.

“We didn’t get where we are today in Alberta by sitting back and waiting for things to happen,” said Notley in a written release. “The world is changing quickly and Albertans expect their government to look forward, not back. Our plan is to make and ship more of the upgraded products the world needs. This will mean finally getting off the boom and bust roller-coaster after decades of talk.”

Later on in a stop in Red Deer, Notley reiterated her pledge to fund that cities hospitals modernization and expansion, including the installation of a new life-saving catheterization laboratory so heart attack patients don’t have to travel to Edmonton or Calgary for treatment.

Alberta Party

Alberta Party leader Stephen Mandel also held a media event in Edmonton, unveiling his party’s plan to subsidize childcare for low and middle income families.

Mandel says his plan will provide support for the cost of licensed day care and out-of-school care programs, a tax credit for caregivers, and the creation of more affordable child care spaces in the province.

According to a news release, the policy would see the following maximum cost to families per day per child:

  • Combined family income of $0 - $29,999 - $0 per day
  • Combined family income of $30,000 - $49,999 - $5 per day
  • Combined family income of $50,000 - $69,999 - $10 per day
  • Combined family income of $70,000 - $89,999 - $20 per day
  • Combined family income of $90,000 - $110,000 - $30 per day

“This represents the biggest expansion of child care in the history of Alberta, which will support participation in the workforce and position Alberta for a prosperous future,” Mandel said in a written release. “Alberta’s kids are our most important investment and that’s why we are putting children first.”

United Conservative Party

United Conservative Party leader Jason Kenney held an event in Lethbridge, promising to abolish the carbon tax implemented by the NDP government.

“Under our plan however, getting rid of Alberta’s carbon tax will help create more than 6,000 new jobs by 2024,” Kenney added. “The alternative under a second NDP government would be to see the tax go much higher."

Kenney says the extra tax on fuels costs taxpayers in the long run because the costs are passed along to consumers by trucking companies.

For more information on the election, visit the Election 2019 page.