In response to the Saskatchewan government’s Affordability Plan, the NDP says the relief is too little, too late.
Finance critic Trent Wotherspoon says they’ve been calling for affordability relief for months, and called it irresponsible of the Sask. Party government to hid billions of windfall resource revenues while people struggle.
“We’ve been calling for affordability relief for months. The Sask. Party government has hidden and hoarded billions of windfall resource revenues since March, yet they still hiked taxes, fees and utility rates.” he said.
Wotherspoon also had a problem with the timing of the announcement of a one-time payment of 500 dollars to residents 18-and-older with the pending by-election in Saskatoon-Meewasin.
He accuses the Sask. Party of trying to buy votes, but Finance Minister Donnar Harpauer responded with the NDP forced a by-election when former leader Ryan Meili stepped down, so the timing was their choice.
Wotherspoon also said the province pocketed $62-million in surgery funding from the federal government, but the province hasn’t allocated any of the money to deliver these services.
“The Sask. Party is giving regular people a one-time payment of their own tax dollars, while pocketing federal cash once again,” said Wotherspoon. “Instead of acting quickly to help people when they needed it most, this government is dead-set on recklessly taxing regular working people into submission, with no end in sight.”
“At the same time the Finance Minister wasted eight grand on a single flight to North Battleford, families had to cancel road trips just to put food on the table. The people of Saskatchewan deserve a government that doesn’t buy their trust, but earns it.”
