Saskatchewan gov’t disputes findings of funding report

The Government of Saskatchewan is disputing a report by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives that says provinces are sitting on millions of dollars in aid from the federal government.

In a statement Tuesday afternoon, the province said the report “contains several inaccuracies” which it called “disappointing.”

The province said the report’s contention that Saskatchewan is sitting on a $1.4-billion “contingency fund” is incorrect.

“Saskatchewan has $160 (million) remaining in our COVID-19 contingency fund,” the provincial government said. “The CCPA states that the remainder of this ‘contingency fund’ is made up of $1.3 billion from Saskatchewan’s infrastructure stimulus that remains unallocated, which is incorrect.”

The government said $953.7 million of that infrastructure funding was allocated in 2020, with another $394.8 million to be spent in the 2021-22 provincial budget.

“Characterizing unallocated infrastructure funding as ‘contingency funds’ is entirely inaccurate and goes against well-established public-sector accounting guidelines,” the province said.

The government also said the report claims that Saskatchewan has not accessed $31 million worth of long-term care funding from a $1-billion federal fund, and that six of 10 provinces haven’t dipped into that fund. Saskatchewan said that too was incorrect.

“To our knowledge, no provinces have accessed this fund, including Ontario and Quebec,” the province’s statement said. “The fund has been a point of contention at recent First Ministers’ Meetings over the federal government’s encroachment in provincial jurisdiction by specifically earmarking federal funds to health care, an area of provincial jurisdiction.

“It is the position of several provinces including Saskatchewan that federal health funding would more appropriately be directed through the Canada Health Transfer, which has been subject to chronic underfunding by subsequent federal governments.”

The province said Saskatchewan has doled out all of the $338.1 million it received from the Federal Safe Restart Agreement.

In an emailed statement, the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives offered its take on the province’s response.

“The Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives stands by the accuracy of the report, noting it is based on financial data and spending announcements reported by the Government of Saskatchewan,” the statement said.