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Cheryl Oates, spokeswoman for NDP premier-designate Rachel Notley, said Tuesday she couldn’t comment on when the new government — which has yet to be sworn in — intends to bring forward its planned tax changes.

But MLA Brian Mason, the former NDP leader who was re-elected in Edmonton-Highlands-Norwood, acknowledged the tax change timeline could be an obstacle for the new government.

“We’re certainly looking at that. That’s a real concern,” he said Tuesday.

Mason said the complications stem from Prentice’s election call, which came shortly after the Progressive Conservative government released its budget.

“He presumed that the Conservative government would be re-elected and the Conservative budget would be moving ahead and he did not plan for the alternative,” Mason said.

“So that certainly has the potential to create considerable difficulties for the new government in terms of implementing its agenda with respect to revenue measures in a timely fashion.”

The PC government had notified the federal government that it intended to implement its new progressive health-care levy on income as of July 1.

The NDP campaigned on repealing the health-care levy and Oates said the incoming government has told Ottawa not to proceed with the new tax. That will slice just under $400 million out of government revenue.

Beyond the pledge to raise personal income tax rates for those making over $125,000 annually, the NDP’s other major revenue initiative is a planned two-point increase of the corporate tax rate, to 12 per cent.