Press Release

March 23, 2023

 

The provincial budget has just been announced today, and we have all heard the ravings that there is a $1 BILLION dollar surplus! This sounds fantastic, however there are some very concerning issues that are not addressed. In fact, this is the biggest smoke show of recent budget history.

• No Tax relief for the people of Saskatchewan.
• No suspension of the fuel tax that would help every citizen in Saskatchewan immediately.
• No reduction of PST on used vehicles, sports, events, etc.
• Zero dollars for great post secondary education, and zero dollars for more doctor and nursing space in our universities.
• A 3% raise for all MLA’s.

When you don't fix roads, don't properly insure buildings, don't pay enough staff to keep hospitals open, and generally mismanage every aspect of government by underperforming, you can show a surplus.

 

Area Specific Issues:

• 1 million in funding for Estevan senior home. With a massive surplus, why not completely fund the city for the completion of its new senior home? These funds were promised over 7 years ago.
• No mention of rebuilding the seniors living center in Carievale. If we have such a large surplus, why don't they just rebuild our small-town seniors home now?
• Where does a new hospital in Yorkton rank?

 

When you manipulate numbers in such a dramatic fashion, we have to review what we know today. Our roads in most of rural Saskatchewan are in horrible repair. You need to have travelled on them to understand how bad they are. Our ministers prefer to fly on private aircraft so they wouldn't know how bad they are.

The finance minister Harpauer feels that $8000 flights to go to a chamber meeting are ok. The people of Saskatchewan are struggling every day. Food costs are soaring, taxes are going up, and the services provided are getting worse. 

If we used the $1 billion surplus to cut PST, pay doctors and nurses more money to stay in Saskatchewan, properly insure our government owned buildings, and have a sincere goal of helping the people of the province, we will all have a better way of life.

A $1 billion dollar surplus is pure financial mismanagement. Are we better off than we were 5 years ago?

 

Will we see some Moe Money before the next election???

 

Philip Zajac

Leader

Buffalo Party of Saskatchewan.