The long-awaited final draft of the province’s budget has come. It may be a few months late, but for good reason.
The COVID-19 pandemic brought the world to its knees in 2020. It is fair to say that globally, people will be trying to recover for years to come.
Saskatchewan’s budget which finally has projections included, shows some pretty grim numbers although the spending seems to continue going up.
Finance Minister Donna Harpauer said in her minister’s message that Saskatchewan is “well positioned” to recover from the effects of the pandemic because of the strength of the people and the province produces what the world needs, which is food, fuel and fertilizer.
That comes one paragraph before she announces the forecasted deficit of $2.4 billion, and projected revenue of $13.6 billion, down 8.3 per cent from the previous year.
It is hard to know as of today the future implications of what will be coming down the line from the widespread pandemic we faced, but amid a tanking oil industry and recovery methods, it is probably safe to say it will not be easy. People and industries will suffer.
There have obviously been many attempts to keep people afloat during the crisis, but only so much can be done when governments are hemorrhaging money at an alarming rate.
All of the stimulus packages, wage top-ups and quarantine pay incentives sound nice in theory. But how can that be a positive when you also announce a $2.4 billion deficit?
We have all heard the cliché “you’ve got to spend money to make money” but you have to ask if that notion really applies when you have been faced with a global pandemic and historic drops in oil prices.
It’s easy to understand the province’s record numbers for healthcare and education. No matter what the circumstance, education for future generations is paramount. And obviously, healthcare funding is how we avoid getting ourselves into another round of what we have just been through.
Harpauer did her best during the budget press conference on Monday. Put yourself in the shoes of the person who not only had to construct a budget that shows a province limping to the proverbial pre-election finish line, she also had to go out to defend and promote it.
Leader of the Official Opposition Ryan Meili said on Monday if the Sask. Party gets to announce a post-election budget yet again, the province will see cuts and sell offs going forward.
It makes you wonder, because how else can a government make up so much lost ground? Harpauer said they aren’t looking at raising the PST or other taxes, but it would not have been smart politically to say anything otherwise.
The conspiracy theorist in me wants to side with Meili. I would not at all be surprised if after another Sask. Party victory, they hit the ground running with cuts across the board along with sales and bailouts wherever they can muster.
Sometimes it is hard to sit and look at politicians with an open honest heart. They operate under the shadows of correctness, and you never fully know their motives until it’s too late.
Sometimes that is for good. Although we tend to see a lot of times their deception, in terms of clarity it comes at a cost of the people. We can look at this budget with a glimmer of hope in regards to the investments in healthcare and education.
What we can’t do is look at the budget released today think the positive words from the government are a sign that we are even on the right track. The deficit numbers presented are nothing short of terrifying. It is important to remember that going forward.
Let the weeks and months ahead show what they really mean with the presented budget.
It’s safe to assume the Sask. Party will more than likely dominate in the polls again. What happens afterwards will show the true colours of the Sask. Party and where their actual motives lie post-pandemic.
Let’s hope post-election doesn’t bring forth immense cuts to a province that needs stability in some capacity.
Hopefully, the immense spending has some sort of payoff in terms of economic recovery. We should be prepared for the fact that the extra spending means more room to cut going forward, depending on how bad it really gets.
Jordan Stricker is a Local Journalism Initiative Reporter for the Prairie Newspaper Group.
