Wall hints at PST increase, tax changes in social media video ahead of budget

Saskatchewan’s premier gave his biggest hint yet there could be a change coming to the provincial sales tax (PST) in Wednesday’s budget.

In a video posted on social media, Premier Brad Wall suggested there will be a change to the province’s taxes this budget.

“There will be a shift toward consumption taxes, but away from taxes on income and productivity,” Wall said.

“This fundamental change in our tax system is designed to keep our economy strong while generating the revenue need to ensure important public services are sustainable and affordable in the long run.”

Consumption taxes are typically seen as PST and sin taxes, like the levy on cigarettes and alcohol.

While the promise to balance the books made during the April 2016 election campaign is broken, Wall said there is a plan to get out of the deficit by 2019.

The government is fighting a 1.2 billion dollar deficit mainly from a sustained drop in non-renewable resource revenues like oil and potash.

NDP interim leader Trent Wotherspoon is not impressed with the premier’s pre-budget Facebook message, saying that is not the way to deliver the message.

“That is not a financial report, there is no plan before Saskatchewan people yet, there are some suggestion that there are going to be costs that he’s going to hike for Saskatchewan people,” Wotherspoon said to reporters at the legislature Monday.

“Making them pay the price for his dishonesty and for his mismanagement, that is not how this works.”

Wotherspoon maintained the state of the finances are still unknown until Wednesday, arguing people are sick of the speculation.