Article content

The United Conservative Party wants a return to flat income tax. It yearns for more private health care. When did Alberta’s right-wing not pine for these things?

The only surprising thing about this first dribble of UCP policy ideas is how unoriginal they are. This is classic nostalgia from the Ralph Klein years of great surpluses, with the persistent dream of expanded private health care for people who can afford to pay.

We apologize, but this video has failed to load.

tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or Braid: First UCP policy ideas are mainly nostalgia for the Klein era Back to video

Even those ideas, from a UCP committee, were branded as preliminary by party executive director Janice Harrington.

Nobody should be upset, they say. This isn’t real yet, and nothing will be until a party convention in May.

But the idea of a tax at 10 per cent for all income levels? That’s bound to last.

What does it mean?

Well, for the 2018 tax year under NDP policy, everybody who makes up to $128,145 in annual taxable income will pay only 10 per cent.

That’s exactly the iconic level of the Klein years, and the rate the UCP wants for everyone.