NDP proposes $125M Cost-of-Living Dividend to give Saskatchewan families a break

The 1% Windfall Profits Surcharge would also cancel Sask. Party’s PST hike

REGINA - Today, Official Opposition Leader Ryan Meili and Opposition Finance Critic Trent Wotherspoon proposed a windfall profit resource surcharge to deliver a cost-of-living dividend to address the affordability crisis, allowing Saskatchewan people to share in windfall non-renewable resource profits amid 31-year high inflationary pressures.

“Budgets are about choices. In this last budget, the Sask. Party chose to hit Saskatchewan people with more taxes and higher utility fees at a time when they should be working with municipal and federal governments to address the affordability crisis,” said Meili.

The Official Opposition called on the government to add 1% Windfall Profits Surcharge to the provincial resource surcharge when WTI oil prices exceed $90(US) per barrel and/or potash prices exceed $700(CDN) per K20 tonne. This small increase could add $250 million to provincial coffers this fiscal year.

With this surcharge, the government could scrap the PST increase in the budget and immediately rebate $125 million by way of cost-of-living dividends to every Saskatchewan household. The additional proceeds should be split between an urgent investment into our health system to address the generational challenge in health care and into a fund for energy efficiency building retrofits including renewable energy options for homes, businesses and farms to create jobs, make utility bills more affordable and reduce emissions - securing a legacy for tomorrow.

“We face an extraordinary situation. As a result of the unforgivable invasion of Ukraine, already strong profits in our resource sector have been sent soaring. Meanwhile, the owners of those resources, the people of Saskatchewan, are being squeezed every which way by affordability pressures,” said Wotherspoon. “A modest windfall profits surcharge will continue to ensure the success and profitability of our critically important energy and potash sectors while providing much-needed relief to Saskatchewan people and leaving a lasting legacy. These resources belong to the people of Saskatchewan.”

-30-

Latest posts

SASKATOON — Saskatchewan people have questions about the growing number of proposed data centres in the province, and Carla Beck‘s team is making sure they have an opportunity to be heard. 
Beck’s team hosted a public data centre open house in Saskatoon on Wednesday evening to hear directly from residents about their concerns, including the potential impacts on electricity, water, land use, the environment, jobs and the long-term costs and benefits to Saskatchewan communities. 

Enough Is Enough — Scott Moe Needs To Fire His Incompetent Public Safety Replacement Minister  
SASKATOON – Scathing new documents show the Sask. Party government lying to people of the North who lost so much during last year’s devastating wildfire season. The lies are just the latest in a series of failures, cover ups and scandals concerning Scott Moe’s government’s horrific preparation, response and review of the disaster that saw hundreds of homes and businesses burnt to the ground. 

Second Luxury Jet Video Emerges Showing Scott Moe’s Out-Of-Touch Sask. Party MLA Using Lavish Private Jets To Perform Government Business 
REGINA – Carla Beck’s team is demanding that Scott Moe’s MLA for Moosomin-Montmartre reveal how many times he has used luxury private jets while performing government duties. 

Retail Sales Growth In Saskatchewan Dead-Last, Financial Anxiety For Consumers Highest In Canada 
SASKATOON - Carla Beck’s team is standing with a Saskatoon small business owner, calling out Scott Moe for refusing to provide any relief despite sky-high costs, which will only be made worse by new tariffs.  

Share this post