The 180

Is Alberta setting a good example by raising taxes?

Last month, Alberta issued a budget that included increased taxes. We host a debate over whether that's a good example for other provinces, and for Ottawa.
Alberta Premier Jim Prentice, left, carries the budget after Alberta Finance Minister Robin Campbell, right, delivered the 2015 budget in Edmonton, Alta., on Thursday, March 26, 2015. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jason Franson (The Canadian Press)

As provinces table their budgets in a flourish, and we await the fiscal plan from Ottawa, Alberta has taken a step that has been unthinkable in the west, and unpopular in much of the rest of the country for years. The province will implement new taxes, and do away with their flat income tax. We debate whether leaving the "No or Low" taxation philosophy behind is a good or bad example for the rest of the country.