Beck kicks off campaign with a bat and a $2B promise
CBC
Saskatchewan NDP Leader Carla Beck made a string of announcements over the last week, signaling the start of the fall election campaign.
On Aug. 29, Beck promised not to increase taxes and to cut the provincial gas tax if elected. The gas tax cut is not news, but holding the line on all other taxes is a new pledge from the NDP.
When asked how she plans to pay for the tax freeze, Beck said, "by growing the Saskatchewan economy, leaning into that opportunity that we see right across this province by finding efficiencies and cutting the long list of Scott Moe's waste and mismanagement."
The NDP said it would soon release a fully costed platform that "balances the budget" within four years.
Premier Scott Moe responded on social media.
"That's the same old NDP that raised taxes 21 times in 16 years in government, including the PST four times and the gas tax twice," Moe wrote.
Moe also said the NDP "supports the carbon tax," but Beck has said she does not support the federal policy.
Beck's announcement came as the Saskatchewan government released its first-quarter financial report, which has the projected deficit for 2024-25 up to $354 million from the $273 projected in March.
Finance Minister Donna Harpauer pointed to increasing costs, including a new collective agreement for provincial workers.
NDP finance critic Trent Wotherspoon blamed government mismanagement.
"This is a government that has failed to stick to its own financial forecasts for the better part of a decade," Wotherspoon said.
Although the election campaign has not officially kicked off, the Saskatchewan Party government has also been ramping up its media conferences and announcements in recent days. The election is expected to take place on Oct. 28.
Beck also made a trio of announcements regarding schools this week. On Tuesday in Saskatoon, she promised $2 billion in additional spending on K-12 education over four years if elected.
She said the government would hire hundreds of new teachers, educational assistants and support staff, and address concerns over class size and complexity including English as a second language. Again Beck promised to make it happen "within existing resources."
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