Something We (Alberta) Can Do With Our Next Surplus

[s243a]

With the recent announcement of high energy royalties and another 1.4 billion dollars in the budget, I was thinking about what we could do with the next surplus. The main idea that kept floating around in my head deals with the national and provincial debt. Alberta is currently the only province to be debt free. Currently Canadians pay billions of dollars on interest of the debts, something which disturbs me greatly. So the idea I thought of was to use the surplus to help pay off the national or provincial debts. This would not be a gift mind you; it would be a low to no interest loan (NO HANDOUTS). But I think the investment would pay off itself. Firstly Canadians would save billions each year on interest payments, effects we might see immediately. Secondly this can be seen as an investment in the rest of Canada, because the oil will run out and when it does we might need some help from the rest of Canada. But if the rest of Canada is not fit to help us, then we could potentially be all alone. Now is the time to remove the debt burden and free this country from a debt burden. Now I am no Economist, but I do know a thing or two about paying off a mortgage, credit card bill or car loan; the sooner the better (or in our case a close relative with gambling debt and a history of going on spending sprees). Any thoughts, input, criticism, compliments or rants would be great. But to some well informed economists: Would this plan/idea be viable? Thanks!

My thought is perhaps, help some people pay their bills who will lose their jobs because of higher Royalties.

 

[Lester]

The train is feasible I pulled this off Wikipedia- But I think I would like to see the health care premiums go - It would help the "house poor"

WIKIPEDIA
The most advanced proposals are in the Calgary-Edmonton Corridor in Alberta. The cities are approximately 260 km apart (About 3 hours by car), and are connected by the Queen Elizabeth II Highway.
A study by the Van Horne institute concluded that "high speed rail would bring significant benefits to the Calgary-Edmonton corridor and Alberta as a whole". The report also stated that the project would "generate between CAD $ 3.7 and $ 6.1 billion in quantifiable benefits". The study considered three options:

1. Upgrade of an existing Canadian Pacific freight route to allow trains up to 240 km/h using Bombardier's JetTrain, costing approximately $ 1.8 billion.
2. A new dedicated passenger route, known as the "Green Field" route, also using the Jet Train, and costing approximately $ 2.2 billion.
3. An electrified version of the Green Field route, using TGV style trains running at 300 km/h, costing approximately $ 3.7 billion.

The report found that there was little incremental benefit in running at 300 km/h rather than 240 km/h, and so recommended the first option.
On September 22, 2006 it was announced the Provincial government was deploying video cameras along a stretch of the Queen Elizabeth Highway to determine just how many cars travel between the three cities.[2]
Some figures quoted for the cost of the project are far larger than the above. For example, Vue Weekly gives the cost as "$ 3 - $ 5 billion".[3]
The Calgary Herald announced on April 18, 2007 that the provincial government had purchased land in downtown Calgary for a possible station or terminal.[4] The provincial government also maintains ownership of the top deck of Edmonton's High Level Bridge so a potential high speed rail line can reach downtown Edmonton.

 

[jjaycee98]

There is a plan!

Wouldn't Albertans prefer to spend the surplus on hospitals and infrastructure?

Actually Mr. Stalmach has plans being considered for that. Twining the Highway to Fort McMurray, adding a lane each side of the QE2, money for Roads in Edmonton to handle the increased traffic there. and improving the connector coridor to the US.

Money is planned for expansion to existing Hospitals and a couple new ones with consolidation of services to major centers to use the funds more effectively for specific Health problems with Transportation provided to move patients around.

Private Investment is being invited to solve the low Income housing with the Province paying the Rent directly to the Lanclord.

As to the Royalty decision-if you have both sides throwing rotten eggs at you-you must have got it right.