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It was a big day for the Saskatchewan Party on Saturday as Leader Scott Moe released his party’s entire platform ahead of the provincial election on Oct. 28.
Moe said his party’s No. 1 priority is affordability for people living in Saskatchewan.
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“Saskatchewan today is the most affordable place to live,” said Moe. “We have a plan to make Saskatchewan .. more affordable for everyone.”
“This is very much an affordability focused platform that is going to leave more money in Saskatchewan families’ pockets.”
The plan includes a new home renovation tax credit and reducing income tax for everyone.
The Saskatchewan Party website says reductions in income tax will come from raising the personal income tax exemption, the spousal exemption, the child exemption and the seniors supplement by $500 each year for the next four years.
Moe said his promises would cost $1.2 billion, with a Sask. Party government running a deficit in the first three years before a balanced budget in 2027-28.
Moe said the numbers will balance out.
“The platform we are putting forward today, it’s fully costed like it has been every election we’ve run,” said Moe. “We’ve seen the NDP platform, it is not.”
Moe reiterated that his party plans to continue to run on its record.
“It’s a record of growth, more investments, more jobs, more opportunities (and) more people,” he said.
Moe said that 250,000 more people that call Saskatchewan home than when the Sask. Party took over in 2007.
Moe also said he is very proud of the 17,200 new jobs created in the province last year.
“That is a new job being created each and every 30 minutes for the entire year,” said Moe. “Saskatchewan has the lowest unemployment rate, and strong job growth.”
Moe also doubled down on previously announced commitments which will see an increase to the Graduate Retention Program, keeping the small business tax at one per cent, and extending glucose monitoring coverage for diabetes to seniors and young adults age 25 and under.
NDP candidate Trent Wotherspoon (left) and NDP senior adviser Ron Styles spoke with media on Saturday Oct. 12, 2024 in Regina about the Sask. Party’s platform. (Nicole Garn/980 CJME)
No education, health-care funding concerns NDP
The NDP is concerned to see no new funding for education and health care from the Sask. Party.
NDP candidate for Regina Rosemont, Trent Wotherspoon, said he wasn’t fully surprised by the Sask. Party not providing more funding for education and health care.
“I thought they wouldn’t step up properly to this challenge,” Wotherspoon said on Saturday.
“They’ve (Sask. Party) put these systems into failure and have broken health care and education. I didn’t think they would lay forward a plan that would step up to those challenges.
“What surprises me is that they would move forward with a plan that’s going to cut those services (in) our health-care system, our emergency rooms, our classrooms that are already at a breaking point.”
Wotherspoon said the NDP, under the leadership of Carla Beck, would put $1.1 billion into health care, focusing on retention, recruitment and training of health-care workers. It would also commit to a generational investment of $2 billion to hire teachers, reduce class sizes and address classroom complexity.
In regards to comments from Moe about an unaccounted for “$3 billion” from the NDP’s budget, Wotherspoon said Moe has no credibility with respect to finances.
“He’s proven that time and time again,” he said. “He’s showing Saskatchewan people that he can’t be trusted on this front.
“He’s missed his own budgetary targets in the last four years by $9 billion … This is a tired government that’s out of steam, that seems to be more interested in political, divisive, self-interested arguments. We’re focused on the public’s interest and the future of Saskatchewan.”
Ron Styles, senior adviser for the NDP, said the party has been nothing but transparent with it’s platform budget.
“If there is some belief by the Sask. Party that there’s something missing, we’d be more than happy to sit down and have them provide us with some detailed briefing,” Styles said.
He said the Sask. Party platform does not have the same sense of disclosure as the NDP’s.
— with files from Nicole Garn, 980 CJME News and Canadian Press
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