EDMONTON: The Alberta Government's First Quarter Fiscal Update today reveals that revenue projections for this current 2003-04 fiscal year have increased to $23.6 billion dollars - more than $7,400 for every man, woman and child in Alberta.

Spending on government programs is projected to increase by an additional $650 million, rising to $20.985 billion. This is a 65% increase since 1996-97, when spending on government programs was $12.7 billion. Alberta's population grew 14% during the same seven-year period.

"This government is taking too much money from Albertans, and spending more money per person than other Canadian provinces," stated CTF-Alberta director John Carpay.

"While receiving over $23 billion in revenues, the Alberta government continues to force families to pay more than one thousand dollars per year in health care premium taxes. An Alberta family with children, earning only $33,000 per year, must pay $1,056 in health care premium taxes. This money simply flows into General Revenues along with other provincial taxes," added Carpay.

"The Alberta government can easily abolish the health care premium tax, which is regressive, deceptive and totally unnecessary," concluded Carpay.