If the Saskatchewan NDP wins the upcoming election, which hasn’t officially been called yet, Leader Carla Beck says the PST on children’s clothing introduced in 2017 will be gone. On Monday, Beck announced temporarily suspending the 15 cent a litre provincial gas tax for six months. She explains that the province realizes about $20 billion a year in revenue, so cutting these taxes aren’t going to be a problem. She believes it’s a matter of cutting government spending to balance the budget and points to the million dollar trip to Dubai for the United Nations Climate Change Conference, more commonly known as COP28.

Beck states that the NDP’s goals are to support families and reduce their costs. Today’s announcement was made at Reclaim Maternity Baby Kids in Saskatoon. Owner Janel Edwards stresses that children’s clothing is not a luxury, and as a mother and a small business owner she is terrified. “As a millennial parent raising two kids and owning a family-centred business in this province I can tell you first hand how heartbreaking it is to work day in and day out to barely make ends meet. I chat with countless parents every day who are struggling to make ends meet, feed and dress their families, because of the heartless policies like the kids’ clothes tax.”

In 2017, the current government increased the provincial sales tax from five to six per cent and added a few more items like children’s clothing and restaurant meals.

Reclaim owner Janel Edwards