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Alberta Liberal leader David Swann is singling out a new grazing lease policy in the Municipal District of Taber that he says could serve as a model for the entire province.  

“This is a great example of rural Alberta demonstrating strong leadership on an important public policy issue,” says Swann. “The MD of Taber is to be commended for its vision and foresight by putting in place a policy that mirrors the intent of a bill passed by the Klein government in 1999 but which the PCs never found the courage to proclaim into force.”

The policy establishes a grazing lease compensation framework on tax recovery land in the MD of Taber. Under the new system, the municipality receives all revenue derived from surface mineral leaseholders; the MD, in turn, will compensate grazing leaseholders for inconvenience and land disturbance associated with oil and gas development in the following amounts: $800 for the first year of any new surface mineral leases and, $400 beyond that.

Swann says with the province facing an unprecedented deficit of $10.4 billion in 2016-17 it’s more important than ever for the government to do everything in its power to capture revenue which should be due. Changing the grazing lease policy is one way the province could generate upwards of $45 million in additional revenue without having to resort to further tax increases.

“$45 million will fund oil well reclamation or nurses or doctors or teachers or any number of areas feeling the pinch under the current budget,” says Swann