Here's what we could see in the 2023-24 provincial budget
Here's what we could see in the 2023-24 provincial budget
The long awaited 2023-24 provincial budget will be unveiled in the Legislature on Wednesday afternoon, outlining the government’s taxation and spending plans for next year.
While the details of the budget won’t be revealed until finance minister Donna Harpauer rises in the House around 2:15 p.m., political and economic experts weighed in on some possible directions the budget could take.
University of Regina (U of R) political scientist Jim Farney said he expects an interesting balance act in this year’s budget.
“Budgets always balance between priorities and we've seen the paper in the last week, kind of calls for resources to go to health and education,” he said. “Those aren't things you can just drop $100 million in for one year. Those are long-term commitments, and so those are the two things that I think they're going to have to balance."
Farney said he could see more long-term investments and bigger moves saved for the next budget.
“One thing they could do is kind of advance a couple of big infrastructure projects, but I don't expect it to be a really dramatic budget,” he said. “I don't expect that will be what we'll see this time.”
Although some of those bigger moves could be saved for next year’s budget, Farney said some issues could be pressing enough to appear in this year’s.
“Just thinking of it politically, not just in partisan terms, they will be trying to save some of the big news for then, but I do think there's enough like in health care, in education, in social services. There are enough real pressing needs, they're going to have to make some real investments,” he said.
There is talk about this year’s budget producing a surplus, and Jason Childs, economics professor at the U of R, said it would be nice to see some debt paid down.
“The short of it is paying down debt is always a really good idea, particularly in an environment of rising interest rates. We’re seeing a lot of negative pressure on the bond market right now so further borrowing is likely to be expensive into the future, and not having to pay interest is always a good thing,” he said.
Saskatchewan residents saw $500 affordability cheques last year as part of the government’s four-point affordability plan.
“I could see them going there [again],” said Farney. “In policy terms, I think a lot of fair debate about whether or not that was a good idea. In political terms, it was pretty popular.”
Childs said there would be a bigger problem if the government goes down that route again this year.
“How do you meet the spending needs and affordability needs of people who are depending on you without leaning on those windfall revenues that are going to disappear at some point? They’re not going to be there forever, so if you build it into program spending, you’re borrowing trouble from the future,” he said.
The NDP opposition said affordability in Saskatchewan remains a priority and hopes the budget will address that.
“We have windfall revenues that this province has been sitting on. We’ve seen the reality though for Saskatchewan people and families and local businesses and it’s been anything but. It’s been a period of terrible hardship, incredible cost of living increases and whole lot vulnerability for local business and households,” said NDP MLA Trent Wotherspoon.
“We’re calling on this government to step up in a meaningful way and to address the cost of living that is causing so much hardship for Saskatchewan people.”
Wotherspoon said education should also be highlighted.
“We need to see an investment into our kids’ classrooms,” he said. “What our children have endured over the last decade and what our teachers have and educational assistants that are out there working everyday, is wrong.
On Tuesday, Harpauer offered a brief preview of the budget at the legislative building, and said the surplus will be substantive with no tax increases or decreases.
She said this year’s theme will be ‘Growth that works for everyone.’
“In the past, as everyone knows, we had the $500 affordability tax credit that was for everyone. In this budget, you’re going to see more targeted supports that isn’t necessarily for everyone,” she said.
Harpauer described health care spending plans as aggressive.
“Very strong and aggressive health budget to address the pressures that we are all hearing in health,” she said.
Public expectations may be high given the anticipated size of the provincial surplus but the government appears to be headed toward a conservative fiscal approach.
Canada's special rapporteur on foreign interference David Johnston is being questioned by MPs at committee about his role, his report into election meddling, his decision against a public inquiry, and allegations of a conflict of interest.
The number of interactions between killer whales and humans has increased alarmingly in recent years. CTVNews.ca asked an expert to explain the reasons behind the increase in interactions, explore the types of encounters, and examine the implications for both humans and killer whales.
Prince Harry entered a courtroom witness box Tuesday, swearing to tell the truth in testimony against a tabloid publisher he accuses of phone hacking and other unlawful snooping.
Canada's emergency preparedness minister says images of wildfires burning across the country are some of the most severe ever witnessed in Canada and the current forecast for the next few months indicates the potential for continued higher-than-normal fire activity.
Many Canadian parents are stretching themselves thin — even going as far as to postpone their retirement in some cases — in order to help pay for their children’s education, according to a new survey.
Police in Australia are investigating the suspicious death of a woman who used to live in Surrey, BC, after her body was found in her apartment on the outskirts of Sydney.
The wall of a major dam in a part of southern Ukraine that Moscow controls collapsed Tuesday, triggering floods, endangering Europe's largest nuclear power plant and threatening drinking water supplies as both sides in the war rushed to evacuate residents and blamed each other for the emergency.
A huge Soviet-era dam on the Dnipro River that separates Russian and Ukrainian forces in southern Ukraine was breached on Tuesday, unleashing floodwaters across the war zone.
Astrud Gilberto, the Brazilian singer, songwriter and entertainer whose off-hand, English-language cameo on 'The Girl from Ipanema' made her a worldwide voice of bossa nova, has died at age 83.
While Saskatoon Tribal Council (STC) publicly mulled moving its downtown emergency shelter to a location on 20th Street near the city's core, city documents reveal the wellness centre's present Fairhaven area location was heavily favoured early in the process.
Canada's emergency preparedness minister says images of wildfires burning across the country are some of the most severe ever witnessed in Canada and the current forecast for the next few months indicates the potential for continued higher-than-normal fire activity.
A Ukrainian woman who now lives in Winnipeg is hoping one day she will be able to bring her husband's remains to her new home, a place he hoped one day he too would be able to call home.
Calgary-based Cenovus Energy says it has safely restarted a portion of its production that was shut down because of the threat of wildfires in northern and central Alberta.
Canada's emergency preparedness minister says images of wildfires burning across the country are some of the most severe ever witnessed in Canada and the current forecast for the next few months indicates the potential for continued higher-than-normal fire activity.
Edmonton police launched a new tool Monday to encourage reports of "hate incidents," something officers believe will help them track people who may escalate to "hate crimes."
Many Canadian parents are stretching themselves thin — even going as far as to postpone their retirement in some cases — in order to help pay for their children’s education, according to a new survey.
A grieving widow whose husband was run over and killed by a speeding OPP officer can't believe the force told her it won't hold a public hearing into the case because it decided the misconduct was 'not serious.'
Officials are asking people living around Centennial Lake to evacuate their homes as a forest fire burns in the area west of Calabogie, Ont. An evacuation order has been extended to Wednesday afternoon.
Capital Pride will be receiving money from the federal government to cover costs of added security measures at this year's Pride parade and other events.
The provincial wildfire service is warning British Columbians to have a go-bag and make an evacuation plan with this year's wildfire season off to an alarming start.
Many Canadian parents are stretching themselves thin — even going as far as to postpone their retirement in some cases — in order to help pay for their children’s education, according to a new survey.
Real estate experts say B.C.’s housing market is heating back after cooling off due to rising interest rates but the future is uncertain as several economists expect the Bank of Canada to hike rates again.
A 53-year-old man was shot and killed in the Montreal suburb of Dorval on Monday afternoon. A source told CTV News that the victim is Francesco Del Balso, who has links to Montreal's Mafia.
The numerous forest fires raging in certain regions of Quebec have led to thousands of evacuations since the weekend and continue to threaten infrastructure on Tuesday. Temporary accommodation centres have been opened in nine municipalities on the Côte-Nord, in Abitibi-Témiscamingue and in Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean, to accommodate evacuees.
The province is revealing its housing cards, as 37 more municipalities have been identified as the next group that will be required to create housing targets in their communities to help combat the ongoing housing shortfall.
A wildfire that has been burning out of control on Vancouver Island since Sunday morning is now estimated to cover approximately 20 hectares of dense forest near Port Alberni.
Hammonds Plains Road reopened to traffic early Tuesday morning more than week after wildfires began in the Halifax area. Officials say the fires in the area are contained, though crews continue to deal with hot spots and flare ups.
Canada's emergency preparedness minister says images of wildfires burning across the country are some of the most severe ever witnessed in Canada and the current forecast for the next few months indicates the potential for continued higher-than-normal fire activity.
While firefighters get more forest fires under control in northern Ontario, travel restrictions declared under an emergency order are being expanded in several communities.
A 13-year-old from Elliot Lake in northern Ontario has been charged with sexual assault again, bringing the total to 10, after another survivor came forward.
A grieving widow whose husband was run over and killed by a speeding OPP officer can't believe the force told her it won't hold a public hearing into the case because it decided the misconduct was 'not serious.'
Flames and smoke could be seen shooting out of a home on Graham Street in Waterloo shortly after midnight on Monday, creating a scene that firefighters say was intense before they arrived.
