The provincial government is cutting its spending by 2.8 per cent over the next four years.

The United Conservative Party released their first budget on Thursday highlighting their plan to help reduce Alberta’s debt.

Health and education won’t see cuts to their programs.

Premier Jason Kenney says the government is still committed to providing additional funds to these sectors.

“Funding for mental health and addictions and some social programs for the most vulnerable will actually increase.”

The GoA notes they’ve reviewed each program and are reducing funds to ones they believe were inefficient, bloated, and unnecessary. In some circumstances, the province has also allocated funding to different ‘more effective’ programs.

However, the Alberta NDP suggest this isn’t the case as they believe there will be $100 million less for nurses and fewer doctors in rural communities, as well as a a reduction in child and family benefits.

Meanwhile, Kenney notes this budget will be a tough adjustment for the province.

“Some programs will be asked to do more with less, some ineffective programs will be eliminated altogether, and some infrastructure projects will be delayed or scaled back.”

If spending continued like in previous years, the province predicts the deficit would reach around $100 billion by 2023.

According to the MacKinnon Report, copying the spending habits of provinces like Ontario, Quebec, and British Columbia would save the province of dollars each year.

“I really do have confidence in our great public servants, our doctors, nurses, teachers, and others to help us become, at least, as efficient as other provincial governments in Canada,” added Kenney.