More than 1,200 protesters march against Alberta government public sector cuts

More than 1,200 Calgarians marched in protest of the Alberta government's spring budget and continuing public sector cuts on Saturday.

"So bad even Calgary is protesting," one sign read.

Protesters marched from Western Canada High School to the Sheldon Chumir health centre to Calgary City Hall. Protests were also held the same day in Red Deer, Lethbridge, Medicine Hat, Grande Prairie, Fort McMurray and Banff.

Thousands protested in front of the legislature in Edmonton on Thursday, the same day the budget was released.

Finance Minister Travis Toews branded the new budget as a blueprint for jobs, telling reporters he feels optimistic the economy will turn a corner this year.

But at Calgary's protest, public sector workers weren't so hopeful.

Stephanie Quesnel, a teacher and one of the protest's organizers, said she's concerned that funding to education programs are being reduced or cut altogether.

"We know resources are going to be taken away and it's going to make a teacher's job more difficult but it's also going to have students lose out on opportunities that they need," she said.

"We don't know numbers yet but we do know obviously that if jobs are going to go its going to increase the workload of teachers and it's going to make class sizes even larger."

Rakesh Patel, a family physician in Calgary, said he attended the protest to fight for his patients.

"The result of this is that patient care is going to suffer, people are going to be squeezed in and out of their clinics as quick as they can be," he said. "Our elderly, our most vulnerable people are going to pay the price and they're going to pay the price with their lives unfortunately."

The 2020-2021 budget projects a $6.8-billion deficit on revenues of $50 billion.

It leaves the total health operating budget at $20.6 billion, including $5.4 billion for doctors, a number the head of the Alberta Medical Association has described as a 20 per cent cut as costs go up and billing fee changes kick in. 

It also maintains operational funding at $8.2 billion for K-12 education.

Full-time equivalent public sector jobs are expected to drop by 1,436 this year, mostly through attrition. 

Opposition Leader Rachel Notley addressed protesters, saying she plans to keep fighting for them.

"Two wrongs don't make a right. You don't pile on private sector job losses by creating public sector job losses. That's actually going to accelerate economic decline," Notley told media.

But a spokesperson for the premier's office said in an emailed statement that the cuts are necessary.

"Our plan reduces spending by less than three cents on the dollar over a period of four years, while maintaining recording spending on health, education, social and children's services. We recognize that those public sector unions seeking taxpayer-funded pay raises may prefer tax hikes, but our province must live within its means," the statement read.