“This is a government always quick to take credit for increased student enrollment or population growth in our province,” Higgins said. “But when it comes to assisting school divisions or communities handle those increases and the pressures that go along with them, the Wall government is nowhere to be found.”
Higgins said both broken promises represent sacrifices the Wall government is forcing families to make because of its incompetence. With a funding shortfall in education and no ability for local school boards to raise revenue on their own, services will likely have to be scaled back. Meanwhile, the denial of the full PST revenue to cities and towns has already caused some local leaders to say they will have to increase property taxes.
“Wall can no longer continue to hide behind school boards and local governments – these are his promises and his responsibilities,” Higgins said. “Setting the stage for program cuts to education and property taxes increases in some communities of 7 to 9 per cent are not acceptable ways to manage our province or plan for future growth. There are examples all across our province of communities feeling left behind and waiting for ‘next year’ country with this government.”
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Saskatchewan has seen more than 4700 people lose their jobs under the Wall government.
"Under our old definition, we would be in a technical deficit."
- Minister of Finance, Rod Gantefoer
French School Board at 'breaking point' as Wall Gov't continues delay tactics...
April 28, 2010
"We are supposed to be offering our students an education equivalent to what Regina Public and Regina Separate students are receiving and this is not the case. We have faced constant delays from government and now we are at the breaking point. Our students are crammed in like sardines, creating health and safety issues. After missing deadline after deadline for the past 10 years, the provincial Ministry of Education has left us with no alternative but to seek a solution in court." -Roger Lepage, Legal Counsel for the French School Board, Global News
