In the provincial budget for the next fiscal year to be announced Wednesday afternoon, the government needs to make sure the opportunity from the increased revenue this year isn’t squandered. That’s according to the Prairie Director of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation who says the government has no excuse not to balance the budget. Gage Haubrich says, “The province can’t keep piling debt onto the backs of taxpayers and future generations.”  He adds that taxpayers have three priorities for this year’s budget: balance the budget, control spending and cut taxes. Haubrich states that in 2009, the provincial debt was $4.15 billion and by the end of this month, it will be $17.1 billion, which is a 312 per cent increase. To illustrate the amount, Haubrich says the projected debt interested charges for the current fiscal year are $620 million, which is enough to pay for two brand new children’s hospitals or allow for a one percentage point cut in the PST.

The president of the Saskatchewan Federation of Labour says it’s time for the government to give Saskatchewan workers a real raise. Lori Johb suggests the provincial government has billions of extra dollars due to high oil prices, while workers are overwhelmed by a generational cost-of-living crisis, so the budget presented this afternoon (Wed) should include a substantial increase to the minimum wage.  The SFL president would also like to see a roll back of the utility rate hikes, stopping all forms of privatization and sell-offs, fixing the healthcare crisis, and investing more for safe workplace and eliminating workplace violence.

SEIU-West wants the provincial government to invest in a culture of care in the budget being announced this afternoon. President Barbara Cape says creating a culture of care and support would include the government collaborating with stakeholders to find solutions to the struggles facing residents including the cost of living, homelessness, mental health and addictions. She suggests that collaboration with front line workers in the public system hasn’t been happening. A news release from the union says a culture of care requires real, meaningful investment in care, which would then create a more attractive work environment to retain and recruit people. Cape says, “The efforts of the provincial and federal governments to increase transfer payments and recruit healthcare workers from around the country, and overseas, are only a stop gap to the current crisis in the healthcare system and we need to do more.