LETHBRIDGE, AB: The Canadian Taxpayers Federation is disappointed that Premier Danielle Smith did not pick a smaller cabinet to make her government more efficient and save taxpayers’ money.

“Albertans don’t need a big cabinet to run things out of Edmonton,” said Kris Sims, Alberta Director for the Canadian Taxpayers Federation. “Smith should have followed in the footsteps of former premier Ralph Klein and cut the size of cabinet when first elected as premier.”

The United Conservative government had 25 cabinet ministers, including the premier, before the election and it is the same size after Friday’s cabinet announcement.

In 1992, Klein reduced the provincial cabinet from 26 to 17 after he was elected to replace former premier Don Getty.

Alberta cabinet ministers are paid $181,404 per year.

“It’s a positive that the size of cabinet has not grown, but seeing it reduced would have been better,” said Sims. “Albertans are efficient and they know how to save money, and it would have been positive to see those qualities echoed in a smaller cabinet.”

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