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With the now-defunct Sustainability Fund almost depleted, and with nearly $17 billion in debt already, we cannot continue to kick this problem down the road indefinitely.

Our proposals began with continuing the freeze on MLA salaries, but also an-across-the-broad wage freeze for all government of Alberta employees. This suggestion also was condemned as a “knee-jerk policy option” by NDP Finance Minister Joe Ceci as late as Jan. 9 in this paper, however, days later, the minister thankfully reversed himself when he announced a wage freeze this week for all non-unionized (mostly management) government employees.

This is a positive first step, and we shouldn’t hold it against governments when they change course in the face of hard realities.

It is still only a first step though, and mostly symbolic. The wage freeze for government managers is expected to save $28.5 million a year, a proverbial drop in the bucket of the $24.9 billion that the government spends every year on employee pay and benefits.

Employee pay and benefits make up half of the government’s consolidated expenses annually, and so any plan that is realistic about containing costs has to consider it seriously.

Right now, many Albertans have lost their jobs, while many more fear for losing them. Many other businesses in Calgary have asked their staff to take wage cuts as high as 10 per cent to stay profitable.

Similarly, Alberta’s government should show serious restraint on salaries and wages. Let me be clear, this does not mean any front-line jobs lost. It will, however, take all Albertans to deal with the challenging economic situation we are facing, and it means making small sacrifices now before the challenges become much more severe.