Reaction Starting to Come In After Sask. Tables 2021-22 Budget

With the Saskatchewan Government releasing the 2021-22 Budget on Tuesday, reaction is starting to pour in.

Here are two statements from the following two organizations in regards to the Provincial Budget:

The Saskatchewan School Boards Association (SSBA) is recognizing the critical funding provided to the education system during the COVID-19 response, while also emphasizing the need for predictability and sustainability as the pandemic continues to cause uncertainty and challenges for school divisions going forward.

“The operating increase announced today in the province’s 2021-22 budget will ensure the collective bargaining agreement with teachers is fully funded next year,” said Dr. Shawn Davidson, president of the SSBA. “It’s important to note though that other inflationary costs are not covered in the increase and therefore school divisions may have difficult decisions to make.”

School boards are appreciative of the federal and provincial dollars that have been allocated over the past year to address urgent and emergent matters related to the pandemic, Davidson said. The focus on health and safety of students, staff and communities continues to be at the forefront during these challenging times and will be ongoing as the effects of the pandemic on school systems continue to be realized, he said.

“As we start to plan for what future years are going to look like, the overall message that we hear from school boards is around the importance of predictable and sustainable funding,” Davidson added. “As we move forward, post-pandemic, we really need to have a deeper conversation about how education is funded.”

As school divisions learn about today’s budget announcement in their local contexts, more will be understood about the anticipated effects, which might vary among regions, he noted.

The SSBA also recognizes the increase to mental-health spending announced in today’s budget that includes youth-focused initiatives. Mental health has been identified as a significant factor affecting student success and well-being. School boards applaud inter-ministerial collaboration on this important issue.

The Government of Saskatchewan’s 2021-22 budget, which was released today, contains several important new items for Saskatchewan businesses. The overall theme of this year’s budget is a continued focus on battling the pandemic while supporting Saskatchewan people and businesses. The pandemic has triggered soaring healthcare costs, which are forecasted to be $6.54 billion.

“While the pandemic has impacted every household and business differently, we will collectively recover by focusing on health and safety protocols, and by vaccinating our residents as soon as possible. Once the pandemic is less of a concern, we expect the province to renew and increase its focus on the transition to economic recovery and building resilience into all we do in Saskatchewan,” said Saskatchewan Chamber of Commerce CEO, Steve McLellan.

The budget also contains important elements crucial to Saskatchewan businesses including continued financial supports for members of the business community negatively impacted by COVID-19.

“The past year has been extremely difficult for all Saskatchewan businesses. All were impacted and the stress on the owners, customers, and supply chains meant everyone was forced to work harder,” continued McLellan. “We don’t know when the situation will return to any type of normalcy, so a continued focus on financially supporting those businesses who need help sustaining themselves in a situation beyond their control is very welcome news.”

Some of the other key elements in the budget that will have impacts on Saskatchewan business are:

$3.1 billion of Capital Investments in 2021-22, including $530 million in new spending for shortline rail lines to enhance access to markets and a commitment of $18.9 million to continue to move forward the Lake Diefenbaker irrigation project, which is projected to increase our provincial GDP by $35-$83 billion over the next 50 years.

An investment of $3.2 million to improve the cyber security of Saskatchewan’s public service systems.

“The businesses of this province are very aware of the impact the last year and this one has had on the financial health of Saskatchewan. Moving forward, it is only through continuing to support business growth and building a competitive environment that the Province can return to its pre-pandemic fiscal position,” concluded McLellan.