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UCP eyes flat tax, private health delivery in draft policies

Jan 13, 2018 | 9:12 AM

EDMONTON – The United Conservative Party will hold its founding convention in May to hammer out its policy platform but in the meantime the party has released their draft proposals.

The ideas include a return to the 10 per cent flat tax scrapped by the NDP, along with reducing or cutting other taxes and scrapping the carbon levy.

The UCP says it will respect Canada’s publicly funded health system but will explore private delivery of services in the public system to improve care and reduce wait times.

The Notley government says the draft policy ideas are risky and would benefit the wealthy.

Finance Minister Joe Ceci says the United Conservative plan would punish taxpayers by favouring wealthy wage earners at the expense of the rest, labelling the overall plan “risky and extreme.”

But Janice Harrington, executive director of the UCP, says the policies are simply starting points for discussion, and that the NDP is simply trying to stoke fear and anxiety.

(The Canadian Press)