Just because you’ve got expenses in one area doesn’t mean you need to spend in every area. That from the Prairie Director of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation in reaction to the provincial budget and the goal of five years to get back to balance.

Todd MacKay understands the government needs to spend money to deal with the pandemic, but he says spending is going up in 10 out of the 11 major budget categories, while businesses and individuals have cut their costs to save money.

He approves of having a target and plan to balance the budget, but MacKay would prefer it would only take four years instead of six. MacKay says the province’s debt is projected to hit $17.9-billion this year and rise to $25.2-billion by 2025, and this year Saskatchewan will spend $755-million just to cover the interest charges on the debt. He stresses that total is with historically low interest rates, which could change in the future.

The Greater Saskatoon Chamber of Commerce says, while the budget didn’t balance the books, it did strike a balance between short and long-term measures to stabilize and grow the economy. CEO Jason Aebig says, the budget extends many of the measures announced through the COVID-19 pandemic to support business activity and position them for recovery beginning this year. Aebig says, “After a year of economic uncertainty, Saskatoon businesses now have the clarity and predictability they need to build their recovery plans and rehire, reinvest, and get growing again.”