The UCP government's budget is out of the red.

It's a balanced budget, the first in seven years.

Finance minister Travis Toews tabled the UCP government's fourth budget Thursday afternoon.

Minister Toews expects the province to see a $500-million surplus with smaller surpluses after that.

While it's due in no small part due to the rising energy prices on the world market and the royalties the government receives from them, the minister says years of pulling back and diversifying the economy also were a significant factor.

He outlined a long list of new business investments claiming the government is taking in more money with an eight per cent tax rate than the previous NDP government did at 12 per cent.

The record-high health-care investment in Budget 2022 is an increase of $600 million in operating expense over the previous year. By 2024-25, the government will add a total of $1.8-billion in operating expense to the total health-care budget.

Of this funding, $100 million per year will go to targeted initiatives, such as adding new intensive care unit beds and training new acute care staff. The budget also includes approximately $90-million per year to attract new family physicians to practice in rural and remote communities.

The budget calls for more than $700-million in new funding over the next three years will give students the resources and supports needed to build their knowledge and skills for a successful future.

The three-year Capital Plan provides funding of $1.5-billion for school projects, including 15 projects for the construction of new schools, modernizations and design work to support school building priorities.

The only outright fee increase sees camping spots increasing from $5 to $10 per booking.