The Speech from the Throne is set for 3 pm as the Notley government gets set to lay out priorities for the latest session in the Legislature.

A couple of local UCP MLA's say the ongoing deficit and growing debt is a major concern ahead of the budget coming down in two weeks’ time.

Rimbey-Rocky Mountain House-Sundre MLA Jason Nixon.

“We’re dealing with a 10 billion dollar deficit, we’re going to be close to a 100 billion, or 90 billion dollars in debt by the time the next election happens, we need the government to take some serious action against spending and control”.

Lacombe-Ponoka MLA Ron Orr echoes the sentiment the outlook is not rosy.

“We’ve had a 3rd quarter financial update since then, and of course things are not looking good for our province, the revenues that the government has taken in have actually turned out to be less than they anticipated and the expenses have continued to steam roll ahead”.

The provincial budget will roll out in a couple of weeks’ time and Orr says he will continue to shine a spot light on the disparity in healthcare spending in central Alberta.

“We definitely need for the entire region the catheterization unit in Red Deer Hospital and hopefully eventually the increase to the emergency room facilities there, they are in real need of some upgrade as well”.

He would also like to see support for non-profits a priority, calling them the lifeblood of our communities.

“All of the quality of life things that happen in communities and so far our non-profits and charities have been struggling under the carbon tax, under labour legislation, under increased minimum wages, but lack of support for that”.

Orr says the Notley government also needs to do something to address rural crime, saying they haven't yet taken it seriously and the UCP will continue to raise the issue.

The UCP are also ready to pressure for more action on the Trans Mountain Pipeline expansion.

Nixon says this is no time to back down.

“We have a Prime Minister who could take significant action and has not taken it.  We need to as a province stand up for Alberta, and we need to keep every option on the table and make it very, very clear to BC that we will take serious action.  But the reality is wine is not enough in our view, while it may have been a good start, we are in a position where we can’t continue to allow BC to kill this project by delay”.

An NDP motion that calls for political parties to stand together on the need for the pipeline is to be debated in the legislature on Monday, but the UC- say they don't like the wording.

The motion renews Alberta's call on the federal government to take whatever lawful means necessary to get the pipeline expansion completed.