This release was issued under a previous government.
Premier Rachel Notley and President of Treasury Board and Finance Minister Joe Ceci spoke with Albertans during the town hall in Fort McMurray and discussed challenges facing the northern Alberta community as the province continues to face the steepest and most prolonged slide in oil prices in recent history. Albertans from across the province also joined the conversation online, where they had the opportunity to ask questions throughout the event.
“Today we heard about the personal impact of sustained low oil prices on Alberta’s families. The enormity of this once-in-a-generation challenge is most apparent in communities like Fort McMurray, where economic success is tied so closely with oil development. This underscores the urgency of our efforts to diversify Alberta’s economy as part of our economic action plan.”
Fort McMurray residents were invited to discuss their concerns in person with the Premier and Finance Minister. They were joined by Albertans who tuned into the live-streamed broadcast. Discussion from today’s event will help inform Alberta’s 2016 budget.
“Difficult times continue to lie ahead for the province as we head into Budget 2016. Our government has a plan to help Albertans weather the storm by deploying all the tools at our disposal, including aggressive infrastructure investment, making capital available to small- and medium-sized businesses through ATB Financial and using the Heritage Fund to invest in Albertans and their jobs.”
Albertans are encouraged to continue sharing their thoughts and ideas on Budget 2016 at budget.alberta.ca.