EDMONTON - May 4, 2000 - Provincial Treasurer Steve West tabled draft amendments today in the Legislature that will lower Alberta’s new personal income tax rate and raise personal and spousal exemptions.

The moves will ensure that Albertans are better off than they would be if they had not unhooked from the federal system. The new single tax rate will be lowered from 11 per cent to 10.5 per cent and personal and spousal exemptions will be raised from $11,620 to $12,900 effective January 1, 2001.

"Thousands more low-income Albertans will be liberated from paying any Alberta income tax," said Provincial Treasurer Steve West. Today’s announcement will remove 58,000 more Albertans from the provincial tax rolls, bringing the total number removed from the tax rolls under the new tax plan to 190,000.

Albertans at all income levels including middle-income Albertans will pay lower taxes.