Premier Rachel Notley is firing back after Prime Minister Stephen Harper said Alberta's NDP government is a "disaster."

The comment comes just one day after Harper called an 11-week federal election campaign with a vote set for Oct. 19.

During a campaign stop in Montreal, QC, on Monday, Harper criticized Alberta's NDP government for being unable to present a budget following the spring provincial election while raising both corporate and personal income taxes. In the French-language address, he said the new government is a "disaster" that's been "rejected by the populations."

In a statement on Tuesday, Notley said Alberta is replacing "regressive taxes with better ones" including a "normal progressive income tax system, similar to the ones Canadians have in all other provinces."

"Alberta doesn't have a sales tax so we still have, by far, the lowest overall provincial taxes in Canada," she said.

"Protecting the jobs and incomes of regular working families rather than that of wealthy Conservative friends and insiders is helping to put our province on the path to economic recovery."

Speaking with reporters in Calgary on Tuesday, Finance Minister Joe Ceci seemed unperturbed by Harper's comments. He called the Conservative leader's address "electioneering" and defended the new government's record.

Alberta federal election ridings and candidates

http://www.electionalmanac.com/ea/canada-ridings-candidates-alberta/

In June, the NDP government passed Bill 2 which introduced five separate tax brackets for Alberta residents and instituted a hike from 10 per cent to 12 per cent on businesses. While Albertans making less than $125,000 a year will see their tax rate remain at 10 per cent, anyone making between $125,000 and $150,000 will now be taxed 12 per cent; between $150,000 and $200,000 will be 13 per cent; between $200,000 and $300,000 is 14 per cent; and income over $300,000 will be taxed at a rate of 15 per cent.

matthew.dykstra@sunmedia.ca

@SunMattDykstra