As promised, here is a summary of the Wildrose Platform (The Wildrose Pledge to Albertans).

For your convenience, I have outlined 5 key Wildrose commitments to Albertans including our Patient Wait Time Guarantee; our Commitment to Education; the Balanced Budget, Savings & Energy Dividend Plan; the Wildrose Family Pack and the Alberta Accountability Act.

The Wildrose policies on Seniors, Persons with Disabilities, Energy, Environment, Agriculture, and many other important issues can be found on our website by clicking here.

If you have any questions feel free to contact me by clicking here.

To read the full .pdf version of the Pledge to Albertans click here. 

Wildrose Campaign Platform (Pledge to Albertans)

Patients' Wait Time Guarantee

The Alberta Patients' Wait Time Guarantee will:

• Ensure that Albertans on wait lists exceeding the Canadian Wait Time Alliance Benchmark for 10 major procedures are reimbursed by their Alberta Health Insurance at the in-province rate if they choose to have that vital medical procedure performed outside the public health delivery system.
• Implement a Protection of Public Health Care Guarantee that commits the Government to increase the number of publicly insured health procedures and treatments performed in Alberta until the clinically acceptable wait time benchmarks established by the Canadian Wait Time Alliance are achieved.
• Add capacity to our health system by allowing for a mix of public and private health care delivery, as long as health care remains publicly funded and universally delivered in accordance with the Canada Health Act
• Provide openness and accountability in Alberta's health care system by publishing wait times for all publicly-insured health services at all Alberta hospitals and clinics

You can read the full Alberta Patients' Wait Time Guarantee by clicking here.

Click here to view our television ad on this promise. 

Wildrose Commitment to Education

• Increased Education Funding: Wildrose will find tens of millions of new dollars to invest in education by cutting wasteful spending such as health executive bonuses, cabinet salary increases and grants to corporations including the $2 billion carbon capture and storage boondoggle.
• More Teachers for Our Children - we will ensure local school boards have the money and authority needed to hire more teachers by providing boards with stable and predictable long-term education funding.
• Schools Where They're Needed - Wildrose will take politics out of determining where to build new schools. Money for new schools will be allocated using an objective funding formula that accounts for community and student growth rates...not based on the political clout of politicians at the provincial Legislature.
• Parental Choice - we will give principals, parent councils and individual schools more choice in selecting curriculum and teaching methods. We will also encourage the establishment of new public charter and other non-profit independent schools so long as they are open to all students and do not charge tuition. This will increase the educational choices parents have for their children.
• Improved Student Learning & Assessment - Wildrose will work with teachers and other education experts to transition from the current Provincial Achievement Testing to an assessment model that more effectively evaluates student progress throughout each year, promptly identifies areas of concern that a student needs immediate support with, and allows students the flexibility of associating with their peer groups without being pushed through levels of curriculum regardless of whether they adequately understand it or not.
• Support for Students with Special Needs - We will ensure that parents of students with special needs, with the support of educational experts, are given maximum flexibility to determine how special needs funding will be used for the benefit of their unique child.

You can read the full Wildrose Education Policy by clicking here. 

Balanced Budget, Savings & Energy Dividend Plan

It's time for Alberta to have a structured fiscal framework that will ensure we consistently balance the budget, save for future generations and provide all Albertans with a direct share of our energy riches. A Wildrose Government will implement the following fiscal plan:

• Balance our budget by limiting spending increases to no more than population growth plus inflation.
• Preserve funding for front-line workers like nurses, teachers and social workers, while cutting billions in wasteful spending like carbon capture and storage, new MLA offices and PC Cabinet salary increases.
• Prohibit government from running deficits or spending the interest earned in our children's Heritage Savings Trust Fund.
• After the budget is balanced, the Wildrose will implement the following strategy to manage our volatile but likely growing surpluses:
  • Decrease our children's reliance on future oil and gas revenues by saving 50% of provincial surpluses to grow the Heritage Fund to $200 billion in 20 years.
  • Send 20% of all provincial surpluses generated by oil and gas revenues, tax free, directly to Albertans, providing every Albertan with an estimated $2500 by 2020. This means that a family of 4 would enjoy nearly $10,000 in energy dividends by 2020. The energy dividend will only be paid out when the provincial budget runs a cash surplus.
  • Provide municipalities with 10% of surpluses for local infrastructure needs
  • 20% of the surplus will remain unallocated at this time but will likely be invested in a combination of provincial infrastructure projects and savings.

You can read the fully costed Balanced Budget & Savings Act by clicking here. 

Click here to view our television ad on the Balanced Budget & Savings Act.

You can read the fully costed Alberta Energy Dividend plan by clicking here.

Click here to view our television ad on the Alberta Energy Dividend. 

Wildrose Family Pack

The Wildrose Family Pack will:

• Help Albertans manage the unique costs associated with raising families by providing parents and guardians with a $2,000 tax deduction for each of their children under the age of 18. That is $400 in tax reductions for a family of four.
• Ensure there are no barriers to educating children by banning all mandatory school fees in public, Catholic, and public charter schools.
• Promote healthy and active families by offering Albertans a $500 tax credit for fees spent on their children's sports, arts, and cultural activities.

You can read the fully costed Wildrose Family Pack pledge by clicking here. 

Click here to view our television ad on the Wildrose Family Pack. 

Alberta Accountability Act

To restore integrity to the provincial government and faith in its political representatives, the Wildrose Alberta Accountability Act will:

• Ensure MLAs are accountable to their constituents by allowing MLAs a free vote on every proposed law and giving voters the right to recall MLAs who put the interests of themselves or their party above the interests of their constituents
• Set true fixed provincial and Senate election dates and allow for voter-initiated referenda to empower Albertans on important issues
• Roll back the 30% increase in salary for cabinet ministers that Premier Redford supported, prohibit MLAs from setting their own salaries in the future, and require the public disclosure of minister and MLA expenses
• Open up government by changing FOIP laws to make it easier for citizens to access government documents and information
• Create protection for whistleblowers in government who alert MLAs and media to waste and mismanagement

You can read the full Alberta Accountability Act pledge by clicking here.

Thanks again for taking the time to read the Wildrose platform, and be sure to remember to vote on April 23! 

Sincerely,

Rob Anderson

Wildrose Candidate - Airdrie 

*To keep on top of what is happening during the election, please visit my website at www.robanderson.ca