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Since the NDP won its surprising majority government last Tuesday, most commentators have focused on the budgetary impact. Premier Rachel Notley’s first budget, expected in June, will be based on the Prentice/Campbell budget that was tabled in March, but will be amended to include higher corporate taxes, higher income taxes for wealthy Albertans, elimination of the proposed Health Care Contribution Levy, elimination of many new fee increases, and a re-investment into health care and education.

Others, more closely tied to the energy sector, are fixated on the proposed new oil and gas royalty review. However, the biggest and longest lasting impact of the NDP government will be in the area of democratic accountability.

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One of the first items on the Notley agenda is campaign finance reform. Currently, individuals, corporations, and unions have a $15,000 limit on campaign donations to political parties in non-election years, and $30,000 in election years. Expect changes that will completely remove corporate and union donations, and reduce the ceiling to about $1,500 per person, per year. This would end the “Wild West” style of Alberta election finances, and would closely resemble laws at the federal level and in many provinces.