Wildrose MLAs took a pledge against tax increases on Monday as the opposition party prepares for a spring election.

Promising several announcements to “protect Alberta taxpayers” in the weeks to come, interim Wildrose Leader Heather Forsyth said any tax increases proposed by Premier Jim Prentice to curb the province’s projected $7 billion oil revenue shortfall would limit the spending power of Albertans “and ultimately shrinks the potential for economic growth.”

“We recognize there are difficult decisions that have to be made, but raising taxes should not be one of them,” she said.

“The Premier is playing a game of Chicken Little (by) doing what he can to convince Albertans that the sky is falling.”

When asked how the Wildrose would make up for the $7 billion budget shortfall without raising taxes, Forsyth said the opposition needs to see the spring budget to find waste in the bureaucracy and within Alberta Health Services. Forsyth blasted the $18 million spent on repairs to the flood-ravaged Kananaskis Country Golf Course and $403 million spent on the Federal Building renovation.

“We understand that there has to be a deficit, no question, because of the amount of spending that they have done as drunken sailors. There’s some cuts that need to made,” she said.

Forsyth said Prentice is “teasing” Albertans about the prospect of a spring election, even though the government has a legislated election date for between March 1 and May 31 of 2016.

Forsyth said the Wildrose Party will be ready for a spring election with 29 candidates in place and more nominations opening this weekend. Candidates Sharon Smith for Leduc-Beaumont, Kathy Rondeau for Stony Plain, Steve Thompson for Edmonton-McClung and Jaye Walter for Spruce Grove-St. Albert also signed the pledge.

matthew.dykstra@sunmedia.ca

@SunMattDykstra