Edmonton, Alberta, Canada (AHN) – Alberta Finance Minister Ted Morton will announce budget cuts from 10 to 15 percent in a bid to reduce the province’s $4.3 billion budget deficit this year. The reductions will likely affect programs, reduce departments and contract capital spending by billion of dollars.

Some areas like healthcare would not be cut. Instead, the Progressive Conservative-led provincial government vowed to allocate $13 billion for Alberta’s health system. To have minimum cuts on some departments, Alberta will tap its $17 billion Sustainability Fund.

Alberta Lt. Gov. Norman Kwong, in his Speech from the Throne last week, confirmed spending for healthcare despite the province’s fiscal problems. Kwong also disclosed plans to hire 100 police officers, begin a new vision for education, invest in research and technology to find solutions to environment challenges brought by the province’s oil sands and to seek fair treatment for Albertans under federal programs.

“Our government understands that competitiveness is about managing our spending and ensuring that regulation is effective and practical,” Alberta Premier Ed Stelmach said in a statement. “But it’s also about protecting our environment, and maintaining the services and quality of life Albertans deserve.”

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