The budget is out and, as usual, the members of Saskatchewan's two main political parties have come down on opposite sides in their opinions following last Wednesday's announcment.
Estevan MLA Doreen Eagles said she was "extremely happy" with the budget and said Finance Minister Ken Krawetz was able to take advantage of the booming Saskatchewan economy to deliver a budget that will be unlike any other in Canada.
"Other provinces are recording deficits and we will post a surplus," said Eagles. "We will also improve our public services and reduce our debt."
Tax relief was clearly a major focus for Eagles and her Sask. Party colleagues in the budget as they came up with breaks for families, property owners and businesses. Eagles noted with the province doing well, they felt it was important for everyone to enjoy it.
"We increase the basic and spousal exemptions by $1,000 and dependent children are increased by $500 per child. These measures are a savings to the people of the province of $60 million a year," said Eagles.
"Another important part of it was the education portion of property taxes. This announcement was made prior to the budget the savings on farmland are 80 per cent since we formed government and that was an election promise we made. On many of the quarters of farmland people have, lots of them don't have children going to school. None of us mind helping for our grandchildren to go to school but some of those quarters of farmland have absolutely no services so it was an unfair form of taxation and you could go back to when Tommy Douglas was premier, he said it was the most unfair form of taxation."
While the Sask. Party is trumpeting their tax changes for putting more money in the hands of residents, the NDP was quick to call the measures underwhelming and felt they also lacked vision. Trent Wotherspoon, the MLA for Regina Rosemont and the NDP's critic for the Estevan Constituency said the Sask. Party's budget fails Saskatchewan families and also did not tackle important social issues such as the affordable housing shortage.
"This budget really missed the mark for Saskatchewan people and families," said Wotherspoon.
"Government has more money than ever before but that doesn't connect back to Saskatchewan families who are really under great strain specifically as it relates to affordability.
"We were really looking for something meaningful on the housing front in this budget and we didn't see it. It only puts forward $1.7 million on housing and that might seem like a big number but it is a drop in the budget of what is required. If we are looking at the other aspects of cost of living, we really need to prioritize the investments that mean a lot to people and families. Childcare, we are dead last in Canada."
Wotherspoon also took aim at the much publicized tax cuts, claiming that when factored against the cost of living increases in Saskatchewan, they do "very little" for families.
"When we look at the actual income tax pieces, they are really insufficient. For an individual it works out to $10 a month they will save and for a family of four, it works out to $25. This just doesn't keep pace with the cost of living increases.
Although Wotherspoon and many were underwhelmed by the housing announcements contained in the budget, Eagles noted Friday that Social Services Minister June Draude was expected to announce a number of new housing initiatives to combat the current issues.
Draude did in fact make the announcements and Eagles said they show the government's desire to work with municipalities on housing.
"The municipal affordable home ownership program this initiative will reimburse participating municipalities for the education portion of property taxes they provide as a grant," Eagles said.
"There is also the headstart on a home program that will stimulate the construction of over 1,000 new entry level homes in Saskatchewan over the next five years."
As finance critic for the NDP, Wotherspoon also had much to say on the financial picture projected by the Sask. Party through the budget. He charged the Sask. Party failed on debt reduction and is not putting away money for the future and also took umbrage with their claims of balancing the budget.
"This is where the spin gets in because they are draining from the rainy day fund to the tune of almost $300 million. Here we are with almost $11 billion in revenues and they are taking $267 million from the rainy day fund to cover off and balance the books. It's just not what that fund is intended to do and on the whole debt is on the increase. In the last few years they have absolutely drained every bit of money they could get from the Crown corporations."
Although no announcement was expected, some optimists were holding out hope the budget might contain word about the possible twinning of Highways 39 and 6 to Regina. Eagles admitted that project is not on the frontburner for the Ministry of Highways but she is continuing to lobby for twinning.
"I have been lobbying the minister ad nauseam for that. Every time I see him I think he knows what is coming already," Eagles said. "But I have to be fair, he has always been up front with me. He said 'we are not even looking at additional twinning projects until that highway between Saskatoon and Prince Albert is complete. That will be completed in 2012 and he told me that Highway 39 will be on the priority list for the next round of twinning projects.
"So I imagine that they will do their counts and they will judge which project will go forward and I will continue to lobby. No one wants that highway made safer than I do."
