Southern Alberta Council on Public Affairs (SACPA)

Alberta is blessed with abundant and lucrative natural resources. The province is uniquely positioned to lead the nation in quality of life and wellbeing. Is it not time to ensure that all Albertans share in the province’s wealth? Albertans from across the income spectrum benefit from efforts to reduce disparity. Disparity erodes social and economic wellbeing for everyone across the income spectrum. Prominent national and international institutions such as the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank and the Conference Board of Canada agree that pronounced inequality has a negative impact on the economy. Recent research has made clear that reduced income inequality improves the efficiency and duration of economic growth. Other research clearly shows that inequality is correlated with numerous social challenges and negatively affects the quality of life of all Albertans.