In 2017, the Sask. Party hiked the provincial sales tax from five per cent to six per cent and expanded it to cover children’s clothing, many groceries, and countless other items. Then in 2022, the Sask. Party went further by taxing events and sports tickets – hitting families again at the box office.
“The cost of living is already through the roof, and the government shouldn’t be making back to school season more expensive than it already is,” said Joan Pratchler, Saskatchewan NDP Shadow Minister for Childcare & Early Learning. “I hear from so many parents that are doing everything right, working their butts off, and still not getting ahead.”
The tax on groceries applies to many of the staples of a good school lunch or quick dinner before activities — granola bars, juice boxes, muffins, certain yogurts, cut fruit and vegetables, and quality ready-to-eat meals like rotisserie chickens.
The tax on events and sports tickets makes it harder for families to cheer on their favourite teams like the Roughriders and spend quality time together at this weekend’s Labour Day Classic. The Sask. Party has ignored constant calls to cut their harmful taxes on families even as pollster Angus Reid has consistently reported that Saskatchewan has the highest levels of financial insecurity in all of Canada.
“It’s time to give parents and grandparents deserve a break so they can make sure that the kids have what they need to succeed in the classroom and so they can spend some quality time together,” said Darcy Warrington, Saskatchewan NDP Shadow Minister for Parks, Culture & Sport. “The Sask. Party taxes school essentials, they tax family fun, they tax and tax and tax while failing to deliver on the things families rely on, like quality education and healthcare.
“The people of Saskatchewan deserve better. They deserve a government focused on building a bright future in our province that everyone can afford.”
Examples of admissions, entertainment, and recreation that are subject to Sask. Party’s tax include the following:
· Sporting and athletic events;
· Concerts and shows;
· Movie theatres, museums, zoos, historical sites;
· Fairs, rodeos, trade shows, art and craft shows;
· Professional theatre tickets and subscriptions;
· Entertainment venues such as escape rooms, batting cages, go kart tracks, rope courses, ziplining, rock climbing, trampoline parks, waterparks, virtual sports venues;
· Swimming pools and public skating venues;
· Mini-golf venues and driving range fees;
· Ski hills;
· Fees and league or club memberships for sporting activities including golf, curling, hockey, tennis, bowling, basketball, soccer, and similar sports for an individual age 18 and older, where the individual or team participates in a round, game or match;
· Guided tours and self-guided tours like informational tours; historical tours; and bus, rail or boat tours;
· Hunting and fishing outfitter fees;
· Park entry fees for private, municipal, regional, provincial, and federal parks, or;
· Arcade and pool hall admissions, ticket sales, and pre-paid game cards.
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