POLITICIANS RETURN TO WORK
All eyes on upcoming budget
Saskatchewan MLAs return to the Legislative Assembly today.
The government will focus on preparing the public for what is expected to be a bad news budget, which comes down on March 22.
“Obviously in this particular session there will be a number of issues debated, but none so important than the budget,” says Premier Brad Wall. “We have to make some key decisions as a province. We’ve got to get the balance back to the budget.”
For the second time in a week, the premier hinted the budget may not be balanced. He has long stated his desire to achieve balance, but with a deficit reportedly around $1.2 billion, that could prove too much of a challenge.
“We’ll have to ask ourselves the question: Can we get it all to balance this year, or do we lay out a short-term, clear plan to get it to balance so we can maintain a strong economy, good public service and a priority of getting the budget back to balance?” said Wall.
The premier says he has heard clearly that people around the province have concerns about the budget. He also says he doesn’t want the budget to shock the economy.
“There’s optimism out there, and so we’ve got to make sure what we do with respect to the budget doesn’t dampen that unnecessarily.”
Coming weeks will also reveal more about what the province is doing regarding its “transformational change” agenda.
Government MLAs have said for months that “everything is on the table” as they look to overhaul government spending.
New legislation will be needed to reduce the province’s 12 health regions into just one health authority.
There is also a chance the province will look to make a similar move with elected school boards. A decision on shrinking the number of boards in Saskatchewan is expected in the coming weeks.
Wall’s government has also signalled it is considering reducing the cost of the public sector. Ideas that have been floated out by the province include rolling back public-sector wages and offering unpaid holidays — dubbed “Wallidays” — to employees.
Although the government insists SaskTel is not for sale and no offers have been made, there will also likely be much debate on the future of Saskatchewan’s Crown corporations.
We have to make some key decisions as a province. We’ve got to get the balance back to the budget.
The NDP will still be riding a wave of optimism today after winning a byelection in the Saskatoon-Meewasin riding in the week prior.
That means the Opposition benches will grow from 10 to 11 seats.
“Our team is ready to go. We’re united and strong,” said party leader Trent Wotherspoon. “Stakes are high for Saskatchewan people. We have a government that is breaking promises and being dishonest on front after front after front. That’s mismanaging in ways that Saskatchewan people can’t imagine, and that are threatening what we value.”
Jobs, health care, keeping crown corporations, supporting education and stopping “callous cuts” are all priorities for the Opposition, according to Wotherspoon.