Sask. government responds to federal budget

The provincial government responded to the announcement of the federal budget and pointed out its key concerns regarding stimulating the economy and health transfer payments.

The Sask. government is concerned this week’s federal budget invested in programming without having incentives to stimulate the economy.

Premier Scott Moe said this year’s federal budget also missed the mark on health transfer payments to the province.

The premier and finance minister Donna Harpauer began touring the province to talk about the provincial budget with a stop in Prince Albert on Friday.

Now, they are factoring in the impact of this week’s federal budget with federal health funding to provinces being top of mind.

“Dental care or any healthcare services that are being offered, you know this is a prime example of where the federal government does need to work closely with the provinces. Health care is provincially delivered across the nation,” said Premier Scott Moe.

“All of the premiers have unified in an ask to increase the Canada Health Transfer to a fair level.”

A national dental program was announced in the new federal budget which is something welcomed by the Saskatchewan NDP.

“With respect to kids dental, this is something that we’ve had in Saskatchewan,” said NDP MLA Trent Wotherspoon. “That we built in Saskatchewan, something that was taken away by the Sask. Party Conservatives of course in the 80s. We’re pleased to see dental care provided.”

The province noted an emphasis in the federal budget on what it calls “one off” programs like dental care. It feels what was lacking was a fair level of funding through transfer payments to allow provinces to provide for basic health care needs.