As expected, through Opposition Finance Critic Trent Wotherspoon (pictured), the Saskatchewan NDP have blasted the government’s first quarter financial update.

While Finance Minister Donna Harpauer revealed that the provincial surplus was down more than 50 per cent of what was initially budgeted, Wotherspoon pointed to the fact that $150 million more PST revenue will be collected than projected and that the surplus is expected despite softening natural respurce revenue. Wotherspoon says the government has failed to step up and provide cost-of-living relief during this time of revenue strength, saying that it has hiked taxes and fees and increased power bills three times in just eight months.