Prentice made the mistake of being too honest laying blame on the electorate and a compliant red Tory PC government that didn't pull back the reins particularly with public service wages and world class infrastructure.  There is a noticeable difference with highway quality once you leave Alberta and enter into Saskatchewan or BC and highways are extremely expensive to build and maintain. 

The excessive spending ironically started again when Ralph Klein stopped drinking after eliminating the debt and was at it's apex under the contemptible Champagne Socialist Redford who did her best to undermine true Conservativism.