The Saskatchewan government will spend $434 million more than it takes in over the next year and it will also begin the process of re-evaluating every dollar it spends to see if there is a better way.
However, taxpayers were spared any increases in the provincial budget which was delivered Wednesday afternoon.
The government has begun the process of what it calls “transformational change.”
Finance minister Kevin Doherty says it is about putting everything on the table and asking some tough questions.
Some difficult decisions were made in the budget he delivered on Wednesday.
Among them, the children’s and senior’s drug plan will increase $5 per prescription. As well, some social assistance programs will be reduced.
Also, the Buffalo Narrows Correctional Centre will be closed.
“The fact of the matter is that particular facility costs about $25 a day, relative to about $169 a day to run from medium or low security custody facilities. Primarily in Prince Albert, we have a new facility in Prince Albert those inmates will be transferred to Prince Albert in all likelihood,” Doherty said.
Overall, spending for First Nations and Metis initiatives is up 1.7 per cent to $212 million. Most of that money, nearly $80 million, comes from gaming agreement transfers. Nearly $2 million will be cut for programs like the Aboriginal court workers program and Aboriginal police consulting groups.
“You know, it’s very targeted, it’s very specific, and they think it’s a reasonable compromise,” said the minister responsible for First Nations and Metis affairs, Jim Reiter.
FSIN Chief Bobby Cameron agrees.
He does express some concern about the justice cuts.
“What it’s going to do is it’s really going to have a negative impact to higher incarceration rates. We hope it doesn’t,” he said.
It would have been nice to get more than a 1.7 per cent increase in funding for aboriginal initiatives, Cameron said, adding that it is unrealistic during a difficult budget year.
With resource revenue down, it is an ideal time to work together to help the economy rebound,
“Now is a perfect opportunity for industry, for the province to really seek true partnerships when it comes to resource development with our First Nation communities on our treaty territories. We want to build a treaty rights-based economy,” Cameron said.
Overall in the budget, some social assistance programs are being reviewed, and allowances will be cut back in some areas including the employment supplement program.
NDP Finance critic Kathy Sproule says the savings amount to very little and hurt those that need help the most. The dollar value of the cuts are as low as $100,000, $200,000 and $500,000.
“I don’t get it. It seems mean-spirited and it’s really picking on people that are trying to pick themselves up,” she said.
The budget forecasts total spending of about $14.5 billion with most of it going to health, education and social services.