Wotherspoon: “It’s coming out of your pocket.”
REGINA - Today, Official Opposition Finance Critic Trent Wotherspoon criticized the Moe government for massively increasing the tax, fee, and provincial carbon tax grab when Saskatchewan families are already struggling to pay the bills.
“It’s all taxes and fees. Scott Moe is trying to balance the budget before an election on the backs of Saskatchewan taxpayers. It’s coming out of your pocket,” said Wotherspoon. “During a once-in-a-generation affordability challenge, when people need relief the most, Scott Moe and the Sask. Party are making your life more expensive so that he can claim he managed to balance the budget in the last three months before the election. It’s smoke and mirrors and Saskatchewan people are picking up the tab.”
The Moe government’s news release states that government revenues are up by $1.32 billion from budget time because of “significant increases in taxation” and other own-source revenue sources.
According to public accounts, provincial fees and the Sask. Party government’s provincial carbon tax - known as the output-based performance system - were some of the largest sources of own-source revenue.
Potash revenues are down $1.6 billion and oil and gas revenues are down $148 million from last year.
The government says that the increased tax and fee revenue is because of immigration, not an increased tax and fee grab on established Saskatchewan residents. This is misleading.
With the population up by about 30,500 people, it is unlikely each person, including children, has paid $43,278 in taxes and fees in order to increase revenues by $1.32 billion.
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Saskatchewan NDP Shadow Minister Says Government Continues To Fail Francophone Community
REGINA – The Saskatchewan NDP is decrying a decision by the Sask. Party Government to have all its elected members skip a critical federal-provincial meeting last month that focused on developing the Francophone economy.