$390 million yearly will be invested in education and healthcare, said NDP Leader Carla Beck on Friday as she outlined the party’s budget for a four-year plan to invest in the people of Saskatchewan and cut costs on certain items.
Recently, Saskatchewan has seen overcrowded classrooms in schools where some classes are currently being taught in unconventional places like libraries and teacher lounges.
In response to education concerns, Beck said she would invest money to undo the damages in the education sector. “There’s $2 billion over four years here to undo the cuts and to get us to a place where we can start making decisions based on what is in the best interest of kids, not as it’s been under this government.”
Beck also discussed the concerns raised by healthcare members across the province Thursday at a Saskatchewan Union of Nurses protest.
“Health care is in crisis in this province. We saw nurses yesterday sounding the alarm again. The need to increase our workforce, stabilize those who are already working in our health care system, and ensure that our loved ones get the care that they need in this province,” said Beck.
When looking at the provincial government’s spending, the NDP found that $58 million could be cut to save money in the budget. Those items included the Saskatchewan Martial Service (SMS), which received a $7 million investment from the government in the 2024-2025 budget. SMS would be a policing force launched in 2026 to assist RCMP, First Nations and police services. Instead, Beck believes the funding should go towards already existing policing services.
The NDP also plans to cut “self-serving” political billboards and contracts associated with the government while reconstructing the Saskatchewan Trade Office. The $58 million cut would allow the NDP to invest in their pledges to suspend the gas taxes temporarily, cut the provincial sales taxes on children’s clothing and make grocery items more affordable.
Scott Moe and the Saskatchewan Party have questioned the NDP’s proposed budget and said it would add $3.9 billion to the current deficit for Saskatchewan. When asked about the Sask Party’s claims, Beck said, “everything that we’re going to put forward is fully costed in here. There’s one line that you’ll get more financial detail when that platform announcement is made.”
Beck also blasted Moe for doubling the province’s deficit. She added, “He [Scott Moe] has the distinction now of not only being the premier, but the only premier in the country to have shrunk the economy before, during and after the pandemic.
Beck was also asked about the Lake Diefenbaker Irrigation Projects’. The estimated $4 billion project has not been completed. Beck said the NDP would have to investigate the costs and value of the project but did not dismiss moving it further along.
At the end of the news conference, Beck said she and the NDP will not make promises they cannot keep, and they’re focused on being financially responsible when investing in services.
