REGINA — Opposition New Democrats were back calling for the PST removal on all grocery items Tuesday in the wake of the provincial budget in Manitoba.
Manitoba NDP Premier Wab Kinew announced they were removing the PST off grocery items in that province.
The PST is already removed on most basic grocery items in Saskatchewan, but Opposition Leader Carla Beck also wants that extended to other items, including rotisserie chicken, granola bars and some salads. The NDP made the same proposal during the provincial election campaign in 2024.
“Again, this is another idea on top of other affordability measures that we have put forward, something that is happening today in Manitoba,” said Beck.
“We saw the government again stand up and suggest, you know, everyone's got it so great here, you know, they're not complaining about grocery prices. It's not the case.”
Beck said the NDP is also proposing removing the PST from kids' clothing as well as suspending the 15-cent-a-litre fuel tax. She pointed to feedback she has heard from constituents, citing affordability issues.
“I went and talked to a number of seniors in my constituency. So these are folks who have worked their whole life, worked in health care, worked local egg manufacturer, you know, people who have built this province. People who are living already in many cases, in subsidized housing was the case, who are really, really struggling. Talked to one fellow there who by the time he pays his rent, pays for his groceries, he's got $37 a month to live on.”
She pointed to people in the province experiencing financial distress, including those defaulting on mortgages, putting groceries on credit cards or dipping into savings.
“I mean, the list goes on and on and on,” Beck said. “You know, this government just gets more boastful about this budget as the days go by. Frankly, I'm not sure who they're listening to, and I sure as hell don't know who they are trying to protect with this budget, because it's not those people that I was talking to last week.”
During question period, Premier Scott Moe rejected the proposal and pointed to income tax differences for a family of four living in Saskatchewan.
“In Saskatchewan a family of four making $100,000 — page 62 of the budget document — would pay $5,968 in tax,” said Moe.
“That same family of four making $100,000 in Manitoba would pay $8,855. That’s a $3,000 spread, Mr. Speaker. I didn’t do the math on that, Mr. Speaker, but that’s a whole bunch of rotisserie chickens, let me tell you that.”
Speaking to reporters, Finance Minister Jim Reiter explained why the government is rejecting the latest call for removing PST on grocery items.
“There's very few groceries that have PST on now,” Reiter said. “They're self-prepared foods only. We've taken a different approach, as you've seen in the House ever since the budget was released. We've taken the approach that we're going to make life more affordable.”
Reiter pointed to government policies including the active families benefit and graduate retention program, and “probably the primary one is on income tax,” he said.
“We think people are best equipped to know where they need to spend their money, so we're allowing them to keep most of their own money. So we've made huge decreases in income tax. As you heard the Premier say in the legislature today, income tax is far more affordable in Saskatchewan than it is in Manitoba.”
