REGINA — The opposition New Democrats quickly pounced Monday after word from the government of a number of fee increases.
The increases included a hike in the SGI basic plate insurance deductible from $799 to $950, effective Jan. 1, 2027. It also included new administrative fees for new vehicle registrations and for new or renewed driver’s licences of $15, vehicle registration renewals of $5, and driver’s licence payment transactions of $2.
Auto insurance deductibles will rise 36 per cent from $700 to $950. The government is also introducing a $15 fee to register a vehicle or renew a driver’s licence, a $5 fee to renew vehicle registration, and an additional $2 charge on driver’s licence payment transactions.
Other hikes include the annual angling licences will require the purchase of a $20 Angling Habitat Certificate, while one- and three-day angling licenses require a $5 certificate.
Skilled workers with job offers will be charged a new fee of $500 to apply into the Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program. And there are other fees and penalties announced as well, including fees impacting hunting and also impacting EV vehicles.
All of these and more drew the ire of the NDP’s Trent Wotherspoon at a news conference Monday.
Wotherspoon noted the fees were going up, “despite the Premier promising just a couple weeks ago that the provincial budget that’s upcoming and tabled this week wouldn’t be driving up cost for families.”
Wotherspoon said instead of taking responsibility Premier Moe “keeps sticking Saskatchewan families with the bill. It’s a time where families are stressed and the hardship when it comes to the cost of living is real. After 20 years of this tired and out of touch government, the writing is on the wall and Saskatchewan people are bracing themselves for a cost hike from another mismanaged budget.
In response to the NDP news conference the government sent out a statement in which they stated the NDP “is deliberately misleading Saskatchewan people with inaccurate information which is why no one can take them seriously.”
“The announced fee changes ensure sustainability of programs and services as well as the safety of Saskatchewan people.”
They noted the requirement to purchase a Habitat Certificate with angling licenses will “help fund the Fish and Wildlife Development Fund ensuring support for long-term fisheries stocking and enhancement activities.”
They add that changes to the Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program “aligns us with other provinces and promotes fairness by making fees for all application types the same.” Also, they said changes to SGI deductibles, which haven’t changed since 1998, “reflect vehicle repairs costing much more today because of inflation, higher parts and labour costs, and advanced technology in newer vehicles. This change helps address cost pressures the Auto Fund is facing and supports long term sustainability.”
