SCOTT MOE’S BAD NEWS BUDGET WILL COST SASKATCHEWAN PEOPLE MORE

No Gas Tax Relief, New Fees, Flatlined Healthcare Funding & More Spent on Servicing Debt Than Police
REGINA – The Scott Moe government has introduced a bad news budget with a whopping deficit more than $800 million, added costs and fees, and no new cost of living relief despite the province taking in windfall oil revenues due to the war in the Middle East.

“This bad news budget will cost Saskatchewan people more,” said Carla Beck, Saskatchewan NDP Leader. “Everything your family needs is more expensive and there’s no new cost of living relief in this budget.

“There isn't a dime of gas tax relief. There are new taxes and fees on hunting, fishing and driving — even after Scott Moe promised not to raise taxes.

“Scott Moe has mismanaged our province’s finances for years and now the people of Saskatchewan will pay the price.

“Clearly, it’s time for change.”

Beck’s team is calling on Moe to go back to the drawing board and temporarily lower or eliminate the 15 cent-per-litre provincial gas tax to help offset skyrocketing fuel prices and provide relief for taxpayers struggling with the highest level of financial anxiety in the country. Saskatchewan people already report the highest financial anxiety in all of Canada — four-in-10 are borrowing money just to buy food.

Despite that, the Moe government plans to hike costs with new fees on hunting, fishing, and driving — jacking up everything from SGI transactions to licenses and hiking auto insurance deductibles 36 per cent from $700 to $950. These fee and tax hikes are on top of increases to power and car insurance rates.

“This Sask. Party government has proven budget after budget that they can’t be trusted with our public finances and that they can’t be trusted to deliver where it matters most to the people of this province,” said Trent Wotherspoon, Finance Shadow Minister. “Time and time again they stick the hardworking people of this province with the costs of their government’s mismanagement, waste and chaos.

After years of mismanagement, the Sask. Party plans to rack up another $3.6 billion in debt, bringing the provincial debt to a record $43.5 billion. Saskatchewan people will be on the hook for $1.22 billion this year alone just to pay the interest on the debt — three times more than the provincial policing budget.

The Sask. Party promised in the 2024 election platform that the 2026/27 provincial budget would nearly break even with a $46.5 million deficit and that they would balance by 2027-28. They missed their election promise by $772.9 million and now plan to run deficits until 2031. The 2025-26 third quarter financial report released alongside the budget shows that the government's $12 million surplus this budget year has turned into a $1.2 billion deficit.

The Sask. Party will only increase the health budget by 0.3 per cent, compared to what was spent on health in 2025-26. Moe also continues to walk back to the Yorkton hospital project, which is classified in the budget as being in the “pre-design” stage, despite designs being drawn up for the facility 14 years ago.

School capital funding actually decreased by $67 million or by 35 per cent. White City and Moose Jaw did not get new schools, but Moe’s home community of Shellbrook did.

“Moe will flatline our health system with a tiny 0.3 per cent funding bump — it's basically a cut,” added Beck. “He plans to spend three times more to service the debt than on police. And while so many desperately needed schools are ignored, Moe made sure his own riding got one.

“This is a government focused only on themselves, their friends and insiders, not every day Saskatchewan people. My message to the people of this incredible province is that you don’t have to settle for this. Not only is change possible, it’s on the way.”

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