NDP Critical of "Credit Card" Budget

The opposition New Democrats have called Wednesday's provincial budget a "Credit Card" budget, saying it pushes costs into the future and onto future generations.

"We see whether it's education, costly P3's or debt, the Sask Party's mantra is really, 'just let the kids pay for it,'" said Finance Critic Trent Wotherspoon. "This short-sighted approach will certainly catch up to us as a province before too long."

He says the mentality around "letting the kids pay for it" is very evident when you look at education, and adds the budget does little to address the pressures in the classroom.

"In our Pre-K to 12 system, which is under great strain and many classrooms are bursting at the seams, class sizes that are growing and support systems that are cut," Wotherspoon said. "As well, of course, in post-secondary education, where our universities are placed into a debt crisis, but our students are facing massive tuition increases, which will mean a lack of access to studies for many."

Wotherspoon adds the NDP are very disappointed with the lack of action on health care, and the fact that health authorities may have to make some difficult choices in their budgets.

"The government has called upon the health authorities and Saskatchewan Cancer Agency to cut $54 million from their budget," he added. "Basically forcing tough choices onto other levels of government and the Cancer Agency, shirking responsibility, and it's certainly a signal to many families across Saskatchewan that there's more pain to come."

Wotherspoon also noted that the budget also shows inaction on home care and long-term care, cuts to environment and agriculture, a lack of an infrastructure plan for municipalities, and it has nothing to reinstate the film tax credit.

"Saskatchewan's economy is strong, so people are rightfully asking why isn't the Sask Party government doing better with the opportunity that it's been presented," he said. "When we look at the impact on middle-class families, the failure to address the pressures in health care and in the classroom and education, and the failure to be transparent and report the full, true state of our finances... these are all reasons that we will not be supporting the budget."