On Wednesday, March 20, Saskatchewan Finance Minister Ken Krawetz presented the provincial budget.
The Sask Party is adamant that they have created a fair budget which provides important infrastructure programs, lowered education tax mill rates, and are working towards a Growth Plan for the creation of 60,000 positions by 2020, as well as $344 million being put towards affordable housing for the creation of 12,600 new units by 2016.
In response to the Saskatchewan provincial budget, which the government is calling "Balanced Growth," the NDP has voiced its concern.
Trent Wotherspoon, NDP Finance Critic, responded to the budget as being inadequate in many regards.
"We see this budget as a 'Credit Card Budget,'" Wotherspoon explained, "It is one that pushes costs into the future and onto future generations and we see, whether it's in education or costly P3s or debt, the Sask Party's mantra is really just, let the kids pay for it; and this short sighted approach will certainly catch up to us as a province before too long."
Wotherspoon was unimpressed with what he calls the "P3 schemes," public-private partnerships. Ultimately he states that this will let private sectors take on the debt for infrastructure with the Government paying them back over time, much like a payment plan with a credit card, which is where the NDP's term "Credit Card Budget" has developed from. In the long run this will cost the province more.
However, when asked how the NDP would finance infrastructure Wotherspoon side-stepped the question speaking out about why he does not care for the P3 plan; but, not answering what the NDP would have done differently.
The NDP also found the budget regarding healthcare as well as what has been allocated to education to be inadequate.
In regards to health the Government has cut $54 million from Health and the Cancer Agency, which the NDP are not happy with.
"We highlighted going into the budget that we had a key priority in long term care, in home care, and w simply see inaction on this front. We see a little bit of work on home care, but it's a tiny fraction of the work that needs to be done and as it relates to long term care facilities and new facilities. What we see is a rehash and recycling of announcements that stem back to announcements from 2009, so four years ago. And quite simply we see it as a major priority to create more spaces and more choices for our parents and grandparents and this budget doesn't go any distance on that front."
In regards to education Wotherspoon said, "Education and the classroom is under great strain. We have many classrooms that are bursting at the seams, in many cases we have students actually being taught in hall ways and staff rooms, if you can imagine, doubling as teaching spaces and this creates, certainly, a learning environment that is less than conducive to learning. In other cases what we know, and basically right across the province, is that class sizes are growing and that supports have been cut."
"[Y]ou have to at least meet the pressures of inflation and population and this budget doesn't even meet inflation," Wotherspoon stated in regards to the amount which was budgeted for education in the 2013 Budget.
Overall the NDP, as represented by Wotherspoon, was unhappy with most of the budget though he did say the government had taken a step in the right direction with certain facets of action. These include a step toward what is needed regarding homecare and a positive reaction to First Link, which helps patients and families who are dealing with Alzheimer's. The Government according to the NDP also took a step in the right direction regarding shelters across the province, but explaining it wasn't enough.
The Sask Party, however, explains they are doing the best with what they have to work with and are attempting to make a better Saskatchewan, which involves a balanced budget.
In regards to the Regional Health Authority there has been an increase of 3.5 percent. Increases towards surgical procedures, a colorectal screening program, STARS, and $42.7 million has been allocated towards building seven long term care facilities in the province that had previously been announced.
The Sask Party therefore stated, in a press release, that their budget "improves health care and makes life more affordable for Saskatchewan citizens while ensuring spending on government services remains affordable and sustainable."
"The Saskatchewan Advantage is real," Krawetz said. "The people of Saskatchewan have worked hard to make the gains that have made life better for everyone, and we want to ensure that they keep those benefits."
"This budget provides funding for health care, education, highways, assistance to those in need and many other services to improve our quality of life in Saskatchewan. While government has a responsibility to provide these important services, it also has a responsibility to live within its means, to balance the budget and to ensure our programs for people are sustainable."
"All over the world, we are seeing the chaos caused by governments that did not live up to that second part of their responsibility. We will not make that mistake. We will keep the budget balanced, we will keep government spending sustainable, and we will keep the Saskatchewan Advantage."
