The Alberta government has announced the dates for its spring session of the legislature. There will be a speech from the throne to open a new session on February 22.
Finance Minister Travis Toews will deliver the 2022 budget two days later, on February 24.
Alberta has had years of multibillion-dollar budget deficits, but high oil and gas prices have fueled speculation that Toews could deliver a budget close to breakeven, if not entirely free of red ink.
Prime Minister Jason Kenney is also due to call a by-election in mid-February to fill a vacancy in the northern constituency of Fort McMurray-Lac La Biche.
That race has already generated controversy given that the UCP candidate is Brian Jean, who is running on a platform to try to unseat Kenney as prime minister.
© 2022 The Canadian Press
Reference-globalnews.ca