AUPE president raises concerns over cuts in 2010 budget
EDMONTON – Albertans have spoken clearly that public health care is a priority, and the province deserves credit for recognizing that reality in yesterday’s budget, says the president of the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees.
But positive policies in health care are offset by massive cuts in the budgets for important public services like Child Intervention Services and the enforcement of environmental laws. Those cuts could have tragic consequences for Alberta and its citizens, said AUPE President Guy Smith.
“As happy as we are about health spending, we’re not about to give a standing ovation for this budget,” said Smith.
“We have seen a 6.8-per-cent cut in the budget for Child Intervention Services and a 39.2-per-cent cut in the budget for the Sustainable Resource Development Department, which enforces environmental laws and regulations, compared with its actual spending last year,” said Smith.
“Protecting children and youth at risk and enforcing environmental laws are also areas that Albertans do not want their government to neglect,” he said.
Smith said he will be seeking meetings as soon as possible with the Minister of Children and Youth Services and the Minister of Sustainable Resource Development to seek clear explanations of what the cuts will mean in terms of the ability of the departments to do their jobs.
Smith was also concerned with a 6-per-cent cut to the Advanced Education budget compared with actual spending last year, which included a 2.7-per-cent reduction in operating support.
“We are very concerned about the effect this will have on the children of Albertans who are trying to pursue their studies,” he said.
As for the significant increases in funding for public health care, Smith said AUPE members can take pride in the role played by their campaigns to protect public health services and Alberta Hospital Edmonton.
“The many voices of AUPE members and the members of the public who joined us in speaking up for public health services pushed this issue right to the top of the government’s agenda,” Smith said. “Obviously, we got through to this government, and they deserve credit for listening.
“We don’t agree with all of the government’s priorities,” he added. “Something is clearly wrong when the government would cut $27 million out of Child Intervention Services but allocate $25 million to horse racing and racehorse breeding,” he said.
“But on health care it’s important to recognize that they got a number of things right, including their decision to eliminate the Alberta Health Services deficit, which was the result of under-funding health care in previous years,” Smith said.
On job losses among government employees, Smith vowed to work with the government to mitigate the effect on the delivery of important public services, but said there is no way AUPE will help the government find ways to cut positions.
“The number of people who will actually lose their jobs doesn’t tell the whole story. By eliminating all unfilled positions left vacant during the hiring freeze, this budget will exacerbate an existing crisis in staffing levels,” Smith said.
“Our members are already experiencing high job stress and burnout because of so many positions have not been filled,” he said. “Albertans are certainly going to feel the impact of this in many areas as work takes longer to complete and expected public services can’t be provided.”
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For more information, contact:
Guy Smith, President, AUPE, 780-930-3301 or 780-265-2295 (mobile telephone)
David Climenhaga, Communications Director, AUPE, 780-930-3311 or 780-717-2943 (mobile telephone)