Over the past several months, we have seen the emergence of a difficult and long overdue conversation about how we finance the services that Albertans need and expect. Debate about tax options, expenditure controls and the level of services required to meet the needs of a growing population and a strong economy is healthy in a democratic society, but following the government’s release of the 2012-13 third-quarter fiscal report, now projecting a deficit between 3.5 and 4 billion dollars, the public discussion has been dominated by voices such as the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, Fraser Institute and others who see expenditure reduction as the only solution.