Alberta’s UCP government tabled a new provincial budget Thursday forecasting a $9.4-billion deficit, the largest since the COVID-19 pandemic, as lower oil prices and rising population-driven costs push spending on health and education higher. Finance Minister Nate Horner defended the approach, saying, “Our balance sheet is in better condition than that of many Albertan households. So we’re going to weather this for them and keep an eye towards the future.” He also acknowledged that breaching the province’s fiscal rules carries political consequences: “We created these rules, and I’m breaking them. So it bothers nobody more than it does me.” The budget projects no return to balance by 2028–29, rising taxpayer-supported debt, higher fees and levies for consumers, and continued vulnerability to oil price swings, with every US$1 drop in crude now cutting about $680 million from provincial revenues.