Hard-hit Alberta may get federal relief, Morneau says

The Liberal government has confirmed that Alberta mayqualify for a financial boost under a little-known federal program
to help ease the province's economic pain from falling commodityprices.

MORE ALBERTA NEWS|Alberta human rights ruling on Czech-trained engineer's accreditation reversed

MORE ALBERTA NEWS|Olds College and Alberta Garment launch Calgary Apparel Innovation Centre

Finance Minister Bill Morneau says the province could be eligiblefor payments under the fiscal stabilization program and that Ottawawould work expeditiously to process any request.

Provinces can make claims under the program when their revenuestumble by more than five per cent from one year to the next

The Alberta government has projected a double-digit decline inrevenues in 2015-16 due to the steep slide in resource prices.

But Morneau says that under the program's current rules, themaximum withdrawal Alberta can claim is about $250 million.

Payments from the program were capped in the late 1980s at $60per provincial resident. Alberta's population is about 4.1 million.