Government paid $126,000 to promote, print budget

The Saskatchewan Party government paid two Regina-based companies a combined total of $126,000 to advertise and print copies of its 2017-18 budget, which included broad cuts aimed at shaving $600 million off its $1.3 billion deficit.

As of April 4, the government had paid an estimated $40,000 to Print It Centres Signature Graphics to print copies of the documents and an additional $86,000 to the Phoenix Group to promote it, legislative documents show.

That amount is “historically consistent” with the last several years and much lower than sums spent on the same services a decade ago, government spokeswoman Kathy Young wrote in an email on Monday.

Spending $126,000 “to advertise the budget this year is a prudent, responsible amount we feel, with online and some print advertising, to communicate the budget,” Young added.

The Saskatchewan Party has spent an average of $143,437 printing and advertising each of its 10 budgets. At $235,145, the 2011-12 budget was the most expensive; the 2009-10 edition, which cost $120,323, was the cheapest.

Young noted the sum spent on printing and advertising this year was “substantially lower” than what the previous Saskatchewan NDP government spent on printing and advertising its 2006-07 and 2007-08 budgets. The Saskatchewan Party’s latest budget has drawn criticism for its closure of the Saskatchewan Transportation Co. and elimination of Crown corporation grants paid to municipalities, as well as its deep cuts to school divisions and universities.

“There were obviously tax changes and other things people needed to know about in this year’s budget and we are comfortable with the amount,” Young wrote.