Appropriation Act, 2024 ($)

Summary#

• This bill is Alberta’s annual budget law. It authorizes the provincial government to spend money from April 1, 2024 to March 31, 2025.

• It sets maximum amounts for day‑to‑day programs, construction projects, loans and other financial dealings, and a reserve for emergencies. It also allows limited shifts of money between categories with approval.

• Key points:

  • Operating programs: up to $53.835 billion.
  • Capital projects (buildings, roads, equipment): up to $3.667 billion.
  • Financial transactions (loans and similar): up to $1.794 billion.
  • Contingency fund for unexpected costs: up to $2.0 billion.
  • Legislative Assembly and independent offices: $157.918 million.
  • Ministers can shift up to $5 million between expense, capital, and financial transaction lines within their own department (with approval).
  • Infrastructure can shift up to about $1.464 billion from capital to expense for grants to build or buy schools or health facilities, and up to $25 million to retire environmental cleanup liabilities.

What it means for you#

• All residents

  • Keeps core services running for the year, such as hospitals, schools, policing, and social supports.
  • Does not change tax rates. It only authorizes spending.

• Patients and families

  • Health operations get up to about $25.7 billion. This funds hospitals, clinics, and health programs.
  • The bill allows grant funding that can support building or buying schools and health facilities, which may lead to new or upgraded sites over time.

• Parents, students, and teachers

  • K–12 education operations get up to about $5.76 billion to fund classrooms, staff, and supports.

• Seniors, people with disabilities, and low‑income households

  • Seniors, Community and Social Services operations get up to about $5.32 billion for income supports, disability services, and housing programs.

• Drivers and commuters

  • Major capital dollars are set aside for roads and corridors (notably Transportation and Economic Corridors and Infrastructure), which can fund highway and bridge work.

• Municipalities, school boards, and health organizations

  • Can receive provincial funding for operating needs and, through Infrastructure grants, support for new or expanded schools and health facilities.

• Businesses and contractors

  • Construction and maintenance projects funded by the capital plan can mean tenders and jobs in building, trades, engineering, and related services.

• Taxpayers focused on fiscal management

  • A $2.0 billion contingency is available for emergencies (like disasters or economic shocks), subject to existing financial rules.
  • Small, approved shifts of funds help departments handle cost pressures without a new law.

Expenses#

Estimated annual cost: about CAD $53.8 billion for operating programs, plus CAD $3.7 billion for capital, CAD $1.8 billion for loans/other financial transactions, and a CAD $2.0 billion contingency.

• Operating programs (Expense): up to $53,834,781,000

  • Largest allocations include:
    • Health: up to $25,672,555,000
    • Education: up to $5,757,668,000
    • Seniors, Community and Social Services: up to $5,316,342,000
    • Transportation and Economic Corridors: up to $1,910,459,000
    • Jobs, Economy and Trade: up to $1,763,502,000

• Capital investment (buildings, roads, equipment): up to $3,666,899,000

  • Largest areas include:
    • Infrastructure: up to $1,849,050,000
    • Transportation and Economic Corridors: up to $1,351,142,000

• Financial transactions (loans, investments, debt and similar): up to $1,793,711,000

• Contingency fund (for unplanned costs): up to $2,000,000,000

• Legislative Assembly and independent offices (Auditor General, Ombudsman, Elections, Ethics, Privacy, Child and Youth Advocate, Public Interest Commissioner): $157,918,000 total

Proponents' View#

• Ensures hospitals, schools, and other services have the money they need for the year.
• Invests in infrastructure to support growth, reduce congestion, and improve public facilities.
• Keeps flexibility to manage pressures by allowing small, approved transfers within departments.
• Sets aside a clear emergency buffer so the province can respond to disasters or sudden costs.
• Targets major grants to build or acquire schools and health facilities where demand is growing.
• Includes accountability language so spending must be tracked and reported.

Opponents' View#

• The ability to shift funds between categories, even in small amounts, can reduce clarity on what was originally approved.
• A large contingency fund may be seen as too broad and could be spent without enough public scrutiny.
• Some may argue the totals favor certain programs while leaving others short, but the bill itself gives limited detail on outcomes.
• Allowing a large capital‑to‑expense transfer for Infrastructure could blur the line between building assets and grant spending.
• The bill authorizes big outlays and financial transactions; critics may worry about long‑term debt or reduced savings if revenues fall.