5 storylines to watch as Sask. legislative sitting begins

The Saskatchewan spring legislative sitting begins Monday and there are plenty of issues be discussed. 

The pandemic continues to cause high hospitalizations, the provincial budget will be released in three weeks and the opposition NDP is in the early stages of a leadership race.

Here are five storylines to watch for over the next 11 weeks.

The spring sitting of the legislature is always highlighted by the release of the budget. The government has said there will be a deficit, but will it be larger than last year's record projection?

This year, the budget announcement is back on schedule after two years of pandemic interruptions. 

The 2020-21 budget was released in two parts due to the pandemic. While last year's budget was released in early April. The 2022-23 budget will be released at its more regularly scheduled time on March 23. 

Last spring, Finance Minister Donna Harpauer announced a projected $2.6 billion deficit, the highest in provincial history. November's mid-year financial update pushed the projection to $2.7 billion.

In November, Harpauer hinted that spending in this year's budget would be modest.

Revenues were higher than projected due to higher prices in potash and oil.

Harpauer said on budget day in April 2021 that the province would not be able to reach a balance until 2026-27.

A year earlier and fewer than two months before the election, Harpauer said balance would be achievable by 2024-25.

One major budget question is how the finance ministry will handle the recent economic impacts of the conflict in Ukraine.

Wheat futures surged to $10 a bushel on Tuesday – the highest price in 14 years. Shares in Saskatoon-headquartered Nutrien Ltd., the largest fertilizer producer in the world, keep rising as well.

The Alberta government introduced its 2022-23 budget on Feb. 23, just before the Russian invasion of Ukraine began, projecting a surplus for the first time in eight years.