Saskatchewan election begins with promises of tax relief, calls for change Achi-News

REGINA – Saskatchewan Party Leader Scott Moe kicked off Tuesday’s provincial election promising broad tax relief, while his opponent, NDP Leader Carla Beck, said it’s time to move on from failed, incompetent money management.

Moe told cheering supporters in Saskatoon that his government, if re-elected on Oct. 28, would launch a four-year plan to reduce personal income tax rates across the board.

He said considering those rates are already adjusted for inflation, a family of four would save more than $3,400 over four years.

“This is the biggest income tax cut since 2008,” Moe said shouting “well done!”

Beck told supporters in Regina that Moe has taken the province from a leader to a laggard on health care, education and the economy.

He said it doesn’t have to be this way, promising shorter health wait times, smaller school classrooms and cheaper gas.

“It’s time for a change,” Beck said.

In the lead-up to the four-week campaign, Beck promised to suspend the 15 cents-a-litre gas tax for six months and get rid of the provincial sales tax on children’s clothing and ready-to-eat food items, without raising other taxes.

She has said that stopping the gas tax would save families $350 over six months.

Moe derided those changes as narrow and arbitrary.

“(Our plan) is significantly larger than any temporary gas tax reduction that the NDP is (promising),” Moe said.

“It’s not something temporary. It will remain in place, saving every Saskatchewan person money every year.”

Moe also promised that a fully costed platform would come in the coming days and challenged the NDP to explain how it would pay for its promises.

Beck has also said it would cost her promises, earmarked at $3.5 billion over four years.

He said Saskatchewan does not have a revenue problem.

“Saskatchewan has a management problem, a mismanagement problem,” he said, adding that Moe raised fees and raised taxes.

“Children’s clothes are not a luxury. But you know what is? (Moe’s) $1 million trip (trade trip) to Dubai. It’s time in this state for a leader who will park the limos and step up to the plate.”

Earlier in the day, Moe met with Lt.-Gov. Russ Mirasty to dissolve the house and issue writs directing the election.

Moe, who took over as premier in 2018, is seeking his second mandate in the top job.

He is expected to gather support around his government’s record on growing the economy, creating jobs and increasing the population.

Moe, who represents Rosthern-Shellbrook, has also said his government’s decision not to pay the federal carbon levy on home heating has saved people money.

Beck has been the NDP member of the legislature for Regina Lakeview since 2016 and is running for the first time as party leader.

Recent opinion polls suggest a tight race between the two parties, but the breakdown of constituencies means an uphill battle for the NDP.

Opinion polls indicate that the New Democrats are stronger in cities and the Saskatchewan Party dominates in rural areas. To win a majority in the 61-seat legislature, the NDP would need to sweep the 28 seats in the three largest cities – Saskatoon, Regina and Prince Albert – and hope for help elsewhere.

Moe has warned voters that an NDP government under Beck would return Saskatchewan to a period of hospital and school closures, people leaving for other provinces and a stagnant economy.

“Let’s never go back to those days,” he said.

The NDP last governed in Saskatchewan between 1991 and 2007 and has since been in Opposition. He made cuts after the former Progressive Conservative government nearly bankrupted the province.

Moe took over as leader of the Saskatchewan Party after former premier Brad Wall retired. Moe won his first mandate in the 2020 election during the COVID-19 pandemic and has clashed with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s Liberals over the carbon levy and natural resource policies.

His pre-election budget projected a $354 million deficit with increased spending on education and health care.

Beck has said Moe mismanaged the province’s finances by failing to properly fund health care and education.

She has also highlighted recent problems in the Saskatchewan Party caucus – including criminal charges, retirements and censures – which reduced it from 48 to 42 members at the time of dissolution. Sixteen of those members are not running yet, including eight who served in Moe’s cabinet over the past four years.

The National Development Plan had 14 members at the time of dissolution. There were four Independents and one vacancy.

The Saskatchewan Party’s recent caucus turmoil has seen members turn on each other.

In the spring, Speaker Randy Weekes accused the governing caucus of bullying. He also said that Jeremy Harrison, the trade development and export minister, had brought a gun into the legislature almost a decade ago.

Moe backed up Harrison, who denied the incident but later said he remembered it happening. Harrison was sacked as leader of the government house but kept his cabinet post.

This report was first published by The Canadian Press on October 1, 2024.