Conservatives focus on education and social services

Times Contributor     

 

The Conservative budget outlines proposals to support social services and education.

“Budget 2014 delivers a fully balanced budget focused on core areas that support families and communities…health, education and supports for the vulnerable, while continuing to build Alberta,” said Interim Premier Doug Horner, speaking as the Finance Minister at the time.

The operational budget is over $6.5 billion, with increased funding for enrolment growth in Alberta’s K-12 system, and they have committed to support for student transportation services, smaller class sizes, and supports to meet the diverse needs of Alberta students. There is a combined $1 billion allotted in new operating funding for health, K-12, post-secondary education and human services to ease growth pressures

The educational funding includes:

• Funding for 155, K-12 school projects and seven post-secondary projects 

• 644,000 K to 12 students will receive an education 

• Projected enrolment to grow by three per cent in 2014-15, making more than 18,000 new students needing education support.

• 38,500 Alberta students will share $74 million in scholarship funding

• 2,000 new full-time spaces throughout the Campus Alberta system in 2014-15.

• Post-secondary institutions will get $2.1 billion in base operating grants, and an additional $32.5 million to create 2,000 new spaces this year.

• $151 million in additional support for adult learning

• $7 million as part of a 10-year, $70 million commitment for the Peter Lougheed Leadership Initiative, to support the development of business leadership innovation and entrepreneurial skills.

• $234 million for student aid programs

• Scholarships for about 38,500 students and bursaries and grants to support about 29,000 students.

• $408 million in student loans for 63,000 students in 2014-15.

• Alberta Heritage Scholarship Fund will support $38 million in scholarships this year. 

• $200 million will be transferred to the Alberta Heritage Scholarship Fund, to fund Heritage Scholarships and other financial supports for students pursuing opportunities in the trades.

“As Alberta’s population quickly grows, our government continues to fully fund every student. We’re directly investing $37 million each school day to make sure our students are getting the best outcomes from their education,” said Minister of Education Jeff Johnson.

The new budget also offers supports for social services and health care. Almost 45 per cent of government operational expense goes to health care. The budget commitments are as follows:

• $18.3 billion for Health—an increase of more than $600 million 

• Health facilities will be supported by $393 million in funding for South Health Campus in Calgary, the Kaye Edmonton Clinic, and Strathcona Community Hospital.

• $326 million in support of primary health care and addiction and mental health services

• $805 million for community-based health and wellness programs, services such as podiatry, oral and optometric care, tissue and blood services, immunization programs, and enhanced home care and rehabilitation.

• $1.5 billion allocated to assist Albertans with prescription drugs, cancer therapy drugs and specialized high-cost pharmaceuticals

• 3 new health facilities will receive operational funding-South Health Campus in Calgary,Kaye Edmonton Clinic in Edmonton, Strathcona Community Hospital in Sherwood Park

• 24 health facility projects will be funded

• 44 per cent increase to $40M in enhanced homecare and rehabilitation funding, partly used to help 1,000 more people go home from hospital with enhanced home care support.

“The government will continue its efforts to spend smarter, achieve better health outcomes for Albertans, and deliver better value for taxpayers. With the help of front-line health care workers, we will continue to build a healthier Alberta by making health care and wellness programs more accessible and providing them closer to home,” said Health Minister Fred Horne.

Social service spending will also include:

• $5.9 million has been allocated  for 40 new RCMP officers.

• Investing $31 million in 2014-15 to follow through on the Slave Lake fire recommendations. The dollars will focus on wildfire prevention, hiring more firefighters and improving other firefighting resources to protect Alberta’s communities from the devastation of wildfires.

• Child intervention funding will be increased to $735 million, which is $42 million more than last year. This includes $199 million for foster care support, which will fund about 5,000 foster child placements.

• Early intervention services for children and youth will receive $95 million.

• Increased Parent Link Centre outreach programming and enhanced home visitation supports for families at risk.

• work with community partners to implement An Alberta Approach to Early Childhood Development.

• $20 million for a new Family and Community Safety program, to support existing initiatives and enhance community capacity to address root causes of issues such as child sexual abuse and sexual and family violence.

• Homelessness support programs will receive an additional $19 million (to $131 million) and about 2,000 homeless Albertans will be housed and more than 3,200 emergency/transitional shelter spaces will be funded.

• $967 million is budgeted for Supports to Persons with Disabilities, which aids more than 10,000 adults with developmental disabilities, family support for children with disabilities, and support for Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder initiatives. about 50,000 Albertans will receive income, health benefits and other supports through Assured Income for the Severely Handicapped (AISH)

• $48 million for new and continued addiction and mental health services.

• support for 150,000 low-income seniors 

• 23 per cent increase to $31million in special needs assistance for low income senior’s home repairs and medical assistance 

• senior support with $353 million budgeted for the Alberta Seniors Benefit, an increase of $21 million

• $31 million is allotted for special needs assistance for low-income seniors for things like home repairs and medical expenses.

• More than $20 million in loans are anticipated under the Seniors Property Tax Deferral Program in 2014-15. 

“We are building stronger families and communities by providing greater supports for our child intervention system, addressing family violence, and providing support for Albertans with all types of disabilities and challenges. We will be successful by ensuring Alberta’s communities have access to effective services that meet the needs of our growing and diverse population,” said Manmeet S. Bhullar, Minister of HumanServices.