Alberta corporate tax hike panned by federal finance minister

Alberta Finance Minister Joe Ceci has brushed off unsolicited advice from his federal counterpart about the effect of a corporate tax hike on the Canadian economy.

The new NDP government intends to increase corporate taxes by two percentage points on July 1. 

Federal Finance Minister Joe Oliver told reporters in Ottawa that he called Ceci to express his concerns about the plan.

"Well, I think it's the wrong thing to do," Oliver said. "I spoke to the new minister of finance Joe Ceci yesterday and told him that."

Ceci denied that Oliver told him the tax hike was a bad idea.

"He did say he knows ideologically we're on different teams," Ceci said, "So I take that to mean that he's driving them down, and I think that fair taxes are something that's important for Alberta. "

Ceci will not table a budget until October, which the Wildrose said is too late. Party leader Brian Jean continued to call on the NDP to have a budget ready for September.

Jean suggested the government is holding off on the budget until after the federal election on Oct. 19, which Premier Rachel Notley denied. She said the Wildrose themselves are to blame for the delay

"If they had not en masse crossed to [the PCs], we wouldn't have had an election," she said.

The government has introduced an interim supply bill to finance essential services until a budget can be passed.