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“When you’re on an exceptionally rocky and bumpy economic road, you need shock absorbers. It is not the role of the government to drive into the ditch,” she said at an announcement in Calgary regarding a planned new cancer hospital.

Notley said the budget presented by the former PC government this spring that was never passed laid out the prospect of slashing spending in the future.

“The only way that any government could plan to not have to borrow for operations for a couple of years would have been to make absolutely unprecedented cuts to our teachers, to our nurses, to our hospitals,” said the premier.

But the NDP has faced sharp criticism for borrowing to cover programs.

Interim PC Leader Ric McIver said in question period that the government has shown it has no plan.

“This NDP government cannot even pay for the groceries and keep the lights on without imposing a mortgage on Alberta’s children,” he said.

Notley also faced questions from Wildrose Leader Brian Jean, who suggested the government was setting up Albertans for some sort of sales tax.

“No one that I can find has a credible explanation for how this government is going to bring in $55 billion in revenue in fiscal 2019,” he said.

But the premier said no sales tax or harmonized tax will be created on her watch.

“That budget nor any other budget in the term of this government will not and does not include a PST,” Notley said.

With files from The Canadian Press

jwood@calgaryherald.com