CTV News has come up with a list of some of the key issues that politicians will likely be talking about on the campaign trail before Saskatchewan voters head to the polls April 4.
Economy
The precipitous plunge in oil prices has not only led to job losses in Saskatchewan’s energy sector, but has also taken a toll on government coffers. With revenue from non-renewable resources down $617 million, the province is forecasting a deficit of $427 million for the current fiscal year. In addition, the government shelled out $100 million to cover the cost of fighting forest fires in northern Saskatchewan last summer. Finance Minister Kevin Doherty insists the government has been able to control spending. However, NDP Leader Cam Broten says the Saskatchewan Party inherited a booming economy and billions in a savings account when it took power in 2007, but mismanaged the money.
Health care
While the Saskatchewan Party government has made gains in terms of slashing surgical wait times, patients still face long emergency room waits. Just ahead of the election campaign, the NDP pledged to reduce ER wait times if the party forms government. The NDP has also promised to expand mental health care and make it more accessible. Legislation allowing people to pay privately for MRI scans recently came into effect in Saskatchewan. Health Minister Dustin Duncan says the move will provide additional MRI capacity at no cost to taxpayers. But the NDP says allowing people to pay could also lead to queue-jumping for care because someone who can get an MRI faster may get in line sooner for surgery since they've already had their scan.
Government land deal
The Saskatchewan Party government has recently come under fire over a controversial land deal involving the Global Transportation Hub, which is a Crown corporation. Last year, the GTH bought 204 acres of land west of Regina for $103,000 an acre – three times the appraised value and well over what other landowners in the area received under threat of expropriation. The GTH then sold 58 acres of the same land to the Ministry of Highways for $50,000 an acre. Premier Brad Wall has said his government did everything correctly, and asked the auditor to review the transaction, which she has agreed to do. The NDP, on the other hand, is calling for a judicial inquiry to get to the bottom of the deal and examine whether a criminal breach of public trust occurred.
Carbon capture plant
The $1.5 billion carbon capture facility at the Boundary Dam power plant in Estevan has been a contentious topic in Saskatchewan politics. The NDP says the project has cost the province millions. SaskPower paid $17 million for repairs to the facility, in addition to $13 million in operating costs. The Crown-owned utility also paid a $7 million penalty to an energy company that was supposed to get captured CO2 from the plant to use for enhanced oil recovery. Documents leaked to the NDP last year showed the facility had been working only 45 per cent of the time. However, the government says the facility operated 100 per cent of the time in January and is on track to capture 800,000 tonnes of CO2 this year.
Film tax credit
Saskatchewan’s film industry cried foul when the government axed the province’s film tax credit four years ago. Premier Brad Wall said at the time that Saskatchewan was not going to participate in the bidding war between provinces with respect to grants for the film industry. The Saskatchewan Chamber of Commerce pegged the cost of the former film tax credit at just over $1 million per year, but also estimated that the net economic benefit was $44.5 million. The NDP has promised to create a new film employment tax credit if elected. Filmmakers would receive a 45 per cent refundable credit for labour, plus 15 per cent for other costs, including post-production done in Saskatchewan.
With files from the Canadian Press
