• 18% Spending Increase on Government's Health Care Monopoly
  
• Higher Taxes Recommended in Graydon Report

OTTAWA & EDMONTON: The Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF) today responded to the Alberta Government's health care announcement and the release of the Graydon Report on Health Care Funding and Revenue Generation.

The Alberta Government confirmed it will spend an extra $700 million on health care, in addition to the $630 million increase in health care spending from the last fiscal year to the current fiscal year. The Alberta Government's total health care spending rises 18% in one year, from $7.4 billion in 2003-04 to $8.7 billion in 2004-05.

The Graydon Report recommends that the Alberta Government consider:

• Giving Regional Health Authorities more taxing powers
  
• Increasing the health care premium tax
  
• Increasing personal income tax
  
• Introducing a "health care deductible" to be capped at 1.5% of taxable income

"The Taxpayers Federation opposes any move to increase the amount of taxes paid by Canadians," said CTF federal director John Williamson. "Premier Klein tells us he wants to reform the health system to help patients, but these proposals will do no such thing."

"In fact, it looks like Premier Klein may be ready to tear a page from Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty's budget, and similarly hike taxes to pay for health care," added Williamson.

"The Graydon Report offers no solutions or real reforms, but merely looks at ways to extract more money from taxpayers to finance the government's monopoly over health care," concluded Williamson. "As long as the government monopoly over health care stifles innovation, Canadians will continue waiting for health services."