During Question Period today (Thurs), the Official Opposition asked why there weren’t very many affordability issues included in the plans announced for this session of the Legislature. Finance Critic, Trent Wotherspoon, believes the message to the government was sent in two recent by-elections where the Sask Party lost its seats. Instead of more affordability measures, Wotherspoon says, the government sowed division by calling an emergency session and passing the pronoun policy legislation for schools. He suggests the vast majority of families struggling to pay their bills won’t see a dime of cost-of-living relief under any measures announced in the speech.

Finance Minister Donna Harpauer highlighted the PST rebate on new home builds for first time buyers which would return 42 per cent of the PST paid as well as a program to allow secondary suites which will be introduced this fall. Wotherspoon stated that these are narrow measures that shut out the vast majority who are struggling. Harpauer responded that the NDP has no plan to which Wotherspoon listed rolling back and cutting PST increases, cutting the increases to utilities and suspending the provincial tax on gas at the pump. Harpauer says personal income tax in Saskatchewan is among the lowest in the country and the Sask Party government has programs to assist families, seniors, students and for those who are most vulnerable.