“Scott Moe and the Sask. Party are asleep at the wheel,” said Carla Beck, Saskatchewan NDP Leader. “They can’t just close their eyes and hope our problems magically go away.
“This budget has no plan to defend against tariffs or build our economy, and it actually cuts education and healthcare, where we already rank dead last in the country.”
Last year, the Saskatchewan government spent $8.022 billion on health and is now only planning to spend $8.004 billion, a cut of $17.1 million (page 27).
Beck noted that, despite the existential threat of the Trump trade war, the Sask. Party have refused to debate and develop a plan on the trade war for months.
“Now it's clear why — they don't have a clue,” Beck said.
Alberta, New Brunswick and British Columbia have all delivered contingency funds to protect their provincial economies from tariffs in recent budgets.
Saskatchewan NDP Shadow Finance Minister Trent Wotherspoon said the Sask. Party has increased the debt by nearly $30 billion and already spent three-quarters of a billion more than they said they would during the October election.
“This budget isn’t even worth the paper it’s written on. They have a fiscal record that can’t be trusted,” he said. “And what do we have to show for it? Families can’t make ends meet right now, but the Sask. Party’s promised tax cuts don’t produce real savings this year.
“The Sask. Party should have listened to the people and cut their unfair taxes on everyday essentials, like groceries and children’s clothes. Why would they continue to pile taxes onto families who already can't make ends meet?”
The budget also fails to address affordable childcare, offers no serious relief on cost of living until 2026 and does nothing to tackle the growing addictions and mental health crisis in Saskatchewan, which claims hundreds of lives every year.
“The people of Saskatchewan want a government focused on the future, and this budget does nothing but take us backwards,” Beck said.
-30-