CALGARY– In its latest budget, the Saskatchewan government is focused on enabling people to participate in its growing economy but is not aggressive on long-term elements.

Measures aimed at helping persons with disabilities access public transit, assisting students with the cost of post-secondary education and connecting First Nations and Métis people with employers, signal a strong commitment to the people side of the economic equation.

“The demand for labour in Saskatchewan is huge and will continue to grow as the baby boomers retire. This budget tackles this challenge by investing in programs that will help people participate in the labour market,” notes Dylan Jones, President & CEO. “As always, the thing to look for going forward is whether the money will translate into better outcomes.”

The Canada West Foundation’s analysis reveals a budget that:

  • has a moderate emphasis on supporting long-term growth and prosperity;
  • takes important steps to attract, develop and retain a skilled workforce;
  •  misses the opportunity to begin weaning the province off of volatile non-renewable resources revenues;
  • prioritizes export development, albeit with few significant initiatives;
  • maintains the status quo on corporate income taxes (although the government remains committed to its three-year reduction plan once they are on more solid fiscal ground); and
  • makes a bold move toward greater innovation in infrastructure financing through the creation of a new Crown corporation called SaskBuilds.

“We applaud this budget’s emphasis on not overspending while still investing in key areas such as infrastructure and labour development,” says Canada West Foundation Senior Economist Michael Holden. “However, future budgets will need to wrestle with breaking the province’s dependency on resource revenues and ensuring that the business tax environment remains competitive.”

The Canada West Foundation will be releasing a post-budget analysis on March 21, 2013.

Canada West Foundation is the only think tank dedicated to being the objective, non-partisan voice for issues of vital concern to western Canadians. For over 40 years, through its research and commentary, the Foundation has contributed to better government decisions and a stronger Canadian economy.