Alberta budget breakdown: Premier says more money for healthcare, opposition worries where it will end up

Alberta's provincial budget will be released Feb. 24 and the premier is already dropping hints around what to expect.

Premier Jason Kenney tweeted a video Thursday saying health care capacity would be a priority, along with economic recovery and spending restraint.

But NDP leader Rachel Notley accused him of planning to funnel that money to private health facilities.

"This government has tried literally nothing to boost surgical capacity in the health-care system," said Notley. "And now, all of a sudden, private health care is being put forward as the only solution. Albertans know the truth, we weren't let down by the health-care system, we've been let down by the UCP."

Alberta Health says outsourcing medical procedures through chartered surgical facilities (CSFs) is critical to reducing the backlog in people waiting for procedures. It hopes to ultimately handle up to 30 per cent of surgeries through CSFs. The cost will still be covered by public dollars, however, not private ones.

On Thursday, Notley was joined by two nurses who say the province needs to put more money into existing staff and resources, rather than those outside the public medical system.

"It's this exhaustion of people working against health-care measures, nurses are tired, " said Reanna Teske, who works in mental health.

"We're also fighting cuts in other ways that are preventing us from doing our job to the best of our ability. We need more support."

"Exhausting is a good way to sum it up," said Erin Boyd, who is also a nurse." (The pandemic) hasn't really ended for anyone working on the front lines ... but we need support from our community as well and we feel that this government has done very little to support front line workers."

Kenney didn't offer specific details about how much more money will be invested in health care or how it will be directed.

That information will all be included in the public release of the provincial budget next week.