REGINA — There was nothing positive in the provincial budget to the ears of New Democrats who heard it on Wednesday.
“Folks, this is a budget, a bad news budget, that will ensure that people in this province pay even more,” said Opposition Leader Carla Beck.
Beck pointed to the $819 million deficit forecast, as well as the current Q3 estimate of a $1.2 billion deficit. She compared it to the previous year’s surplus projection.
“This government promised a $12 million surplus that has turned into a $1.2 billion deficit,” Beck said. “Overall debt has more than doubled to $43 billion. That’s two times the debt that was racked up by former premier Grant Devine. It’s triple the debt of Brad Wall. And I think it’s a reasonable question to ask, what are people in this province getting for all of this increased spending?”
Beck particularly slammed the government for not taking up her call in recent days to suspend the fuel tax as an affordability measure.
“No new measures, as I’ve said, to address the cost of living. Not even a temporary measure like suspension of the gas tax,” said Beck.
“We know that this government is taking in windfall revenue because of the war in the Middle East, and they could use it to cut drivers in this province a break. Drivers who have seen the cost of gas go up more than 40 cents a litre in less than a month.
Drivers who are struggling to pay for those increased costs. We’re looking at $1.60, over $1.60 in Regina, even higher in Saskatoon, even higher in the north.”
Beck also complained that the government was downloading costs onto municipalities, resulting in higher municipal tax rates. She also pointed to hikes in fees for hunting and fishing, as well as for drivers and power bills.
“The bottom line is this, if you live in Saskatchewan, especially if you were hoping for a break on your bills, on your cost of living, this is a bad news budget that’s going to cost you more.”
The NDP also criticized the government for what Beck called a “piddling” 0.3 per cent increase over last year in health care. Beck also criticized education spending, saying that “we don’t see funding for schools in White City or Moose Jaw, but we see one for the Premier’s home constituency… community of Shellbrook.”
Finance critic Trent Wotherspoon, who famously took last year’s budget document and put it in a shredder at a media event, repeated his theme of not believing the Sask. Party government on budget numbers.
“You can’t trust what they print in their budgets. We’ve seen this time and time again. It’s nothing more than a charade. So, I guess, assume that everything is worse than it actually is printed in the budget here today,” Wotherspoon said.
Wotherspoon pointed to the previous election and said the Sask. Party had run on a pledge of balancing the books within three years. Now that pledge of getting back to balance has been pushed back to 2031, he said.
“My point is this. These guys will say anything on budget day. They’ll say anything to get elected. You just can’t trust them. You can’t trust them with their budgets. You can’t trust them with our public finances.”
The Sask. Party government responded quickly Thursday in the Legislature to the NDP’s latest messaging. During question period, ministers repeatedly called the budget “good news” for the people of Saskatchewan, and “bad news for the NDP.”
They pointed to particular budget highlights in health care and education, and compared the budget numbers to other provinces.
Finance Minister Jim Reiter said they were proud of the budget and noted that on a per-capita basis Alberta’s deficit was three times the size of Saskatchewan’s, while B.C.’s was four times the size.
“This budget is good news for Saskatchewan families, bad news for the NDP,” said Reiter.
