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Wildrose quickly pointed Tuesday to a recent Prentice comment: “I intend to stick to that plan. People know me by my reputation, by my lifetime of work, that when I say I’m going to do something, I will do it. This is a good plan. It’s good for the province, it’s good for our future together and I intend to stick to it.”

But now, under high political pressure, $90 million has popped loose.

Prentice says the money will have to be saved elsewhere. He gives no details, although he instantly demands an accounting of the new Wildrose promise to give hospital visitors two hours of free parking.

The premier says the government simply made a mistake by cutting the tax credit. He’s right about that. The decision had to be reversed in a climate where charities are having more trouble than ever with fundraising.

But now that there’s a breach in the budget dam, what’s next?

The obvious move is to raise corporate tax.

The premier’s adamant stand against imposing the smallest obligation on companies, while raising personal income taxes and many other charges for individuals, is the single-most hated part of the budget. It’s possible this irritant could tip a 44-year-old government into defeat.

Polls show that up to 69 per cent of Albertans want corporations to pay something extra.

People aren’t after vengeance, or punishment, or measures that will drive away business. They just want a bit of pitching in; some hint from the silent downtown towers that we all ride together on the ghost train of oil at $50 US a barrel.