The Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation is encouraged by Budget 2025-26. Based on a preliminary review, it reflects commitments made in the Throne Speech and will make some gains towards restoring per-student funding.
“This is another step in the right direction,” says STF President Samantha Becotte. “In last fall’s election, the STF asked parties to invest in public education and called for per-student funding to be restored. We know a decade of cuts can’t be addressed with one budget. We are cautiously optimistic this will be the start of continued investments in public education with predictable, sustainable funding that meets the needs of a growing student population.”
Ensuring students have access to a well-funded, quality public education is the foundation to our province’s future, including continued growth, building a skilled labour force and working towards greater domestic capability as laid out in the provincial growth plan. Becotte adds, “Investing in public education will help ensure students have equal access to the supports that they need within their PreK-Grade 12 education, which will lead to increased probability of achieving government’s priorities.”
For over a decade, per-student funding in Saskatchewan has been on the decline after adjusting for inflation. In 2024-25, there was a slight increase but a gap of about $2,450 [1] per student remained.
With this budget, the gap per student is about $1,850 [2]. Fully restoring per-student funding to 2012-13 levels, when adjusted for inflation, will require an additional $375 million in the 2025-26 budget.
“There is still more work to do, and teachers are committed to working collaboratively with government to ensure the best outcomes for students,” says Becotte. “But we can’t do it alone. Budgets reflect priorities and investing in public education is an investment in the future of our province. Saskatchewan has one of the best performing economies in the country. Saskatchewan students and families deserve access to a properly funded public education system that meets students’ needs.”
The STF is committed to continuing to advocate for a well-funded PreK-Grade 12 public education system in Saskatchewan and working with government, parents and other education partners to ensure students have a high-quality public education.
[1] Adjusted for inflation.
[2] Based on government projections, this assumes 2% inflation rate and 1% enrolment growth.
The Saskatchewan Chamber of Commerce is pleased with the investments to support businesses in our province in the Government of Saskatchewan’s 2025-26 Budget.
The Chamber is encouraged by the commitments in the Budget that align with its long-standing advocacy efforts, including:
The creation of a 45% credit for equity investment for small and medium enterprises in certain sectors.
Permanently maintaining the small business tax rate at 1%
A $285,000 investment to establish a Young Entrepreneur Bursary, administered by the Saskatchewan Chamber of Commerce, providing $5,000 grants to 57 eligible young entrepreneurs.
The Chamber has consistently advocated for tax policies that enhance affordability and support talent attraction and retention. The announced income tax reductions will provide much-needed relief for families. Any tax reduction is a positive step, particularly as affordability remains a key concern for both residents and businesses.
Further, the 20% increase in the Graduate Retention Program’s tax credit benefits will play an important role in encouraging graduates to build their careers in Saskatchewan.
“We are pleased to see the government’s investments in business priorities. The announcements made today will help to fuel growth of SMEs, promote entrepreneurship and strengthen Saskatchewan’s economy for the future,” said Prabha Ramaswamy, CEO, Saskatchewan Chamber of Commerce.
The Canadian Taxpayers Federation is calling on the Saskatchewan government to cut spending and stop borrowing money after increasing the debt by $2.4 billion in Budget 2025.
“It’s irresponsible for the government to continue to borrow more money and pile debt onto taxpayers,” said Gage Haubrich, CTF Prairie Director. “Taxpayers can’t afford to keep having the government waste millions of dollars on debt interest payments every year.”
The government is increasing the debt by $2.4 billion compared to last year’s budget. By the end of the year, the debt will be $23.5 billion.
Interest payments on the debt will cost taxpayers $878.4 million this year, working out to $705 per Saskatchewanian. Debt interest payments will cost taxpayers more than $2.4 million per month.
The government is spending $909 million more this year, compared to last year’s budget. The government is also taking in $1.2 billion more in taxes. The budget increases spending in all departments but one.
Tariffs could decrease the government’s revenue by $1.4 billion, according to the budget.
“The government is increasing the debt by more than $6.5 million every single day,” said Haubrich. “If tariffs hit Saskatchewan hard, taxpayers will be stuck paying higher debt interest payments to cover even more government loans.”
The Saskatchewan Party says that one of its guiding principles is the “steady, gradual reduction in government spending and taxation while maintaining a firm commitment to balanced budgets.”
Regina – Today, the Saskatchewan Heavy Construction Association (SHCA) reacted to the 2025-26 provincial budget.
“The SHCA thanks Highways Minister Marit for his commitment to ensuring that infrastructure needs for the province were addressed in this year’s budget,” said Shantel Lipp, SHCA president. “As we know the Saskatchewan economy is reliant on exporting our goods outside of our provincial borders and the current challenges that the province faces means that we have to prepare to expand our reach beyond traditional trading partners. And to reach that goal we have to have reliable and safe infrastructure. Today’s budget helps to reach that goal.”
Funding announced in today’s provincial budget for highways is set at $777 million with $421 million dedicated to capital projects.
“The SHCA looks forward to working with the government and Minister Marit on the Saskatchewan Construction Roundtable discussions to move the conversation forward on the importance of investing in infrastructure to keep our economy growing,” said Lipp. “These discussions are an important step in the right direction to make sure that our industry remains a key driver of the Saskatchewan economy.”
The SHCA represents over 200 member businesses in the heavy construction industry in Saskatchewan. The industry generates more than $5 billion in provincial GDP out of a provincial economy of $73 billion or roughly seven per cent of the total economy and employs close to 30,000 workers, making the industry one of the largest employers in the province.
Canadian Union of Public Employees
Today’s provincial budget by Scott Moe failed to invest in fixing Saskatchewan public services, his health care crisis or his broken education system. Scott Moe has shown Saskatchewan people that his promises to focus on health care and affordability were not worth the paper they were printed on.
“We called on Scott Moe to use his budget as an opportunity to keep his word and fix his education crisis and his broken health care system. He has failed to do so.” said Kent Peterson, president of CUPE Saskatchewan. “Just because Scott Moe has given up on fixing our health care system doesn’t mean we’re giving up. Hard working health care workers have gone over three years without a raise and that is unacceptable. We’re going to keep fighting for the workers of Saskatchewan.”
Scott Moe’s budget failed, once again, to make investments to address understaffing and retention in health care, provide learning supports to children in the classroom, or add capacity to Saskatchewan’s long-term care system. The provincial budget also failed to invest in public services that have suffered from years of cuts and privatization.
“Scott Moe’s inaction on the tariff war has meant uncertainty for workers and their families,” added Peterson. “Saskatchewan deserves the certainty of hospitals, schools, and strong public services when they need them. We need public investment, not cuts.”
CUPE Saskatchewan’s 31,000 members provide services in health care, education, municipalities, universities, community-based organizations, childcare, libraries, boards and agencies, and social services.
Tracey Gramchuk
Saskatchewan NDP
REGINA – The Sask. Party budget is not focused on the future. In fact, it’s not even based in the reality of the serious challenges facing Saskatchewan today.
“Scott Moe and the Sask. Party are asleep at the wheel,” said Carla Beck, Saskatchewan NDP Leader. “They can’t just close their eyes and hope our problems magically go away.
“This budget has no plan to defend against tariffs or build our economy, and it actually cuts education and healthcare, where we already rank dead last in the country.”
Last year, the Saskatchewan government spent $8.022 billion on health and is now only planning to spend $8.004 billion, a cut of $17.1 million (page 27).
Beck noted that, despite the existential threat of the Trump trade war, the Sask. Party have refused to debate and develop a plan on the trade war for months.
“Now it’s clear why — they don’t have a clue,” Beck said.
Alberta, New Brunswick and British Columbia have all delivered contingency funds to protect their provincial economies from tariffs in recent budgets.
Saskatchewan NDP Shadow Finance Minister Trent Wotherspoon said the Sask. Party has increased the debt by nearly $30 billion and already spent three-quarters of a billion more than they said they would during the October election.
“This budget isn’t even worth the paper it’s written on. They have a fiscal record that can’t be trusted,” he said. “And what do we have to show for it? Families can’t make ends meet right now, but the Sask. Party’s promised tax cuts don’t produce real savings this year.
“The Sask. Party should have listened to the people and cut their unfair taxes on everyday essentials, like groceries and children’s clothes. Why would they continue to pile taxes onto families who already can’t make ends meet?”
The budget also fails to address affordable childcare, offers no serious relief on cost of living until 2026 and does nothing to tackle the growing addictions and mental health crisis in Saskatchewan, which claims hundreds of lives every year.
“The people of Saskatchewan want a government focused on the future, and this budget does nothing but take us backwards,” Beck said.
