Murray Wood: Government nickel and dimes us in advance of Saskatchewan budget
We know the budget is going to include a deficit, and Murray Wood says it's probably not a good sign that the government...
The Government of Saskatchewan is predicting a deficit of $819 million in 2026-27.
Finance Minister Jim Reiter, who introduced the provincial budget on Wednesday afternoon, said the government chose not to cut services or raise taxes in the face of global economic uncertainty and instead decided to reduce taxes in an effort to address concerns around affordability.
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“Saskatchewan’s diverse economy and growing export markets mean we are better positioned than most provinces to get through the current economic turmoil caused by tariffs and global conflicts,” Reiter said in a statement. “Still, Saskatchewan is not immune and these events have had an impact on our economy and provincial finances.”
Reiter said the budget – which projects $21.4 billion in revenue and $22.2 billion in expenses – includes tax reductions and significant investments in the province’s patient-first health plan, with the finance minister noting that health and affordability were the two top concerns raised by residents. The budget earmarked $8.5 billion for health care, which the government said represents an increase of $393 million over last year.
The finance minister said the budget also features roughly $200 million in tax savings for Saskatchewan in the year ahead. The government noted that a family of four will pay no provincial income tax on its first $65,000 of earnings, which is the highest provincial income tax threshold in Canada.
“Today, a family of four earning $100,000 is paying $4,484 less in personal income tax than they would have when our government was first elected in 2007,” Reiter said.
“These are not one-time savings, these significant tax reductions save Saskatchewan individuals and families thousands of dollars a year, year-after-year.”
But while the government touted its budgetary measures aimed at improving health care and addressing affordability, Saskatchewan NDP Leader Carla Beck said the “bad budget” will end up costing residents of the province even more.
“There isn’t a dime of gas tax relief. There are new taxes and fees on hunting, fishing and driving – even after Scott Moe promised not to raise taxes,” Beck said in a statement.
“Scott Moe has mismanaged our province’s finances for years and now the people of Saskatchewan will pay the price.”
The NDP said the budget will increase the provincial debt to “a record $43.5 billion,” adding that the province’s tax base will be “on the hook for $1.22 billion this year alone just to pay the interest on the debt – three times more than the provincial policing budget.”
Beck also criticized the added money for health care, saying it’s not enough to solve the issues in the sector.
“Moe will flatline our health system with a tiny 0.3 per cent funding bump – it’s basically a cut,” Beck said.
The NDP leader said the budget will decrease school capital funding by 35 per cent, adding that Moe’s home community of Shellbrook got a new school while Moose Jaw and White City did not.
“This is a government focused only on themselves, their friends and insiders, not everyday Saskatchewan people,” Beck said.
Read more about the Saskatchewan budget and how it impacts you:
Finance minister says Saskatchewan’s deficit budget focused on health, affordability
Finance Minister Jim Reiter said choices were made in the 2026-27 provincial budget to invest in services instead of cutting and raising taxes on March 18, 2026. (Lisa Schick/980 CJME)
Reiter said the Saskatchewan Party is keeping all of its affordability promises.
“There’s a lot of economic stress around the world right now,” the finance minister said. “It’s impacting everyone in the world because of trading issues and tariffs and the conflict in the Middle East.”
Read more about the deficit, debt and the plans to get back to surplus from 980 CJME’s Lisa Schick.
Health spending focused on expanding nurse practitioner positions, funding to build facilities
Premier Scott Moe speaks on budget day in Saskatchewan on March 18, 2026. (Gillian Massie/980 CJME)
Finance Minister Jim Reiter said the health budget will include money for the 50 action items within the Patients First Health Care Plan.
“We could have not put as much funding into kind of key areas, like health care,” he said. “We decided now is not the time to be doing that.”
Read more about how this budget impacts your health care from 980 CJME’s Gillian Massie here.
Saskatchewan’s budget targets affordability. Here’s what’s being offered
Saskatchewan’s Minister of Finance, Jim Reiter, on Budget Day at the Saskatchewan Legislature on March 18, 2026. (Lisa Schick/980 CJME)
The Scott Moe government says measures in its budget 2026-27 will help keep Saskatchewan one of the most affordable places to live in Canada.
The total price tag for affordability measures in the budget is more than $2.5 billion, with the government touting $200 million in tax savings for the province.
Read more on how the budget will impact affordability from 980 CJME’s Geoff Smith here.
