Alberta Heritage Savings Trust Fund

Alberta Heritage Savings Trust Fund (HSTF), established in 1976 by former Alberta Premier Peter Lougheed had three objectives: "to save for the future, to strengthen or diversify the economy, and to improve the quality of life of Albertans." The HSTF operates under the Alberta Heritage Savings Trust Fund Act and provides "prudent stewardship of the savings from Alberta’s non-renewable resources by providing the greatest financial returns on those savings for current and future generations of Albertans." The Heritage Savings Trust Fund used oil revenues to invest for the long term in such areas as health care, education and research and as a way of ensuring that the exploitation of non-renewable resources would be of long-term benefit to Alberta. As of 2012, the fund was invested in stocks, bonds, real estate and other ventures, with the aim of generating revenue for the province.

Between 1980 and 2014, although non-renewable resource revenues (NRR) in Alberta generated almost $190 billion the value of the Heritage Fund in 2014 was only $17.3 billion. After 1987 NRR was no longer added to the Heritage Fund. By 2009 after losing $3 billion in the markets, the value of the Heritage Fund had dropped to $14 billion, which was its value in 1985. The Alberta's Heritage Savings Trust Fund (HSTF) was worth $17.5 billion as of March 31, 2014 according to the Alberta government’s 2013-2014 annual report."

Initially, the fund received 30 per cent of Alberta's non-renewable resource royalties. Over time, successive Conservative governments propped up dubious ventures in domestic ventures ranging from forestry to aviation and food processing.

During the early 1980s, the fund made loans to other provincial governments in Canada. Later the fund's money was used for capital infrastructure projects. After 1987 Alberta's non-renewable resource revenues (NRR) were no longer added to the Heritage Fund. In 1983 $25.5 million from the AHSTF was used to build the Kananaskis Country Golf Course to diversify Alberta's economy while Premier Peter Lougheed was in office.

During the late 1980s and 1990s, the view emerged that government “should not be in the business of business” and should not be so actively engaged in shaping the future. The Alberta Heritage Savings Trust Fund was shifted away from strategic business investments to become a savings tool investing for financial return. Investment into the fund was halted in 1987.Ralph Klein, who was Alberta Premier from 1992 through 2007, used the HSTF to fund special projects to encourage economic diversification. During the mid-1990s, public opinion turned against allowing governments to dip into the Heritage fund to fund special projects, and instead all income earned each year began to be withdrawn from the fund and added to general revenues.

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