Murray Wood: Who's hot... and who's not
Every Friday, Murray Wood takes a look at the week's news and decides who's hot... and who's not. This week's list inclu...
Politicians return to the Saskatchewan legislature to start the spring session on Monday.
Deputy Premier Gord Wyant said the highlight of this session will be the 2019-20 provincial budget, to be delivered on March 20.
“I think the Minister of Finance has made it pretty clear that we’re going to deliver a balanced budget,” said Wyant.
As the government outlines its priorities for the year ahead, Wyant said it will continue with the theme of building Saskatchewan and its economy.
Aside from a number of budget-related bills that will be introduced, Wyant said there are no plans to bring any new pieces of legislation forward this session. However, the government will consider legislation that was introduced in the fall, including those relating to workers compensation, the Employment Act and Clare’s Law.
Wyant was also asked if the impact of the federal carbon tax will be incorporated into the budget. While he repeated the province’s concern about the carbon tax while waiting for the decision from the courts, he wouldn’t comment on what’s included in the budget with regard to the carbon tax.
Opposition Leader Ryan Meili said the government may call it a balanced budget, but expects what he called “creative accounting,” or for the numbers to change by the end of the year.
“How can you actually call a budget balanced when you’ve got deep cuts in our classrooms, cuts in social services, when they’re putting the deficit in our classrooms and our homes instead of managing finances properly in the legislature,” Meili said.
The NDP said it will be focusing on strong economic policy, demanding action on child poverty and ethical government. Meili had pointed to a lack of transparency with how the government handled the new Brandt office building, which is going up where the old CNIB site is located in Wascana Park.
“We’ve got our own serious concerns about the way that political donations are influencing public decisions and the spending of public dollars,” said Meili.
With files from 650 CKOM’s Chris Vandenbreekel.
