Economy, crime, schools and health: Top issues in Sask. election campaign

REGINA — The Saskatchewan election campaign is underway, with voting day on Oct. 28. Here’s a look at key issues and party promises:

Economy

Scott Moe’s governing Saskatchewan Party has promised to grow the economy, jobs and the population. In its pre-election budget, Moe’s government projected a $354-million deficit but delivered no hikes to personal income taxes. It rejected pausing the gas tax, saying the cash is needed for road repairs.

Carla Beck, while leader of the Opposition NDP, promised no tax hikes. She says if her party wins the election, it would pause the gasoline tax for six months and scrap the six per cent provincial sales tax on children’s clothing and ready-to-eat grocery store items, like rotisserie chickens and granola bars. The party has ruled out a review of potash royalties.

Health

The NDP has pledged reforms so more people can find a family doctor and wait less for emergency care and surgeries. It says the Saskatchewan Party has failed to fix the system and is not listening to those on the front lines, resulting in patients being cared for in hallways by exhausted, overworked staff.

The Saskatchewan Party says it would continue to work to reduce wait times by hiring more staff. Its last budget promised $584 million to deal with bottlenecks in the system, along with plans to use nurse practitioners. While in government, it has built an urgent care centre in Regina and has shovels in the ground for one in Saskatoon.

Crime

The Saskatchewan Party government announced $17 million in funding for public safety, including money for municipalities to hire 100 new police officers. It would also pursue its plan to fight rural crime by implementing a new marshals service to work alongside the RCMP, at an annual estimated cost of $20 million.

The NDP has promised to scrap the marshals plan and put that money into the RCMP along with mental health supports and detox services. It would also form a unit to target organized crime and drug traffickers and offer rebates to cover security costs for businesses.

Education

The NDP has promised an additional $2 billion over five years to reduce class sizes and build new schools in White City and Moose Jaw. The party also wants to fund a school lunch program.

The Saskatchewan Party says it plans to address classroom issues by increasing school spending by $180 million. It has also set up an innovation program, allowing teachers to apply for funds to improve the classroom experience and reduce violence.

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

Jeremy Simes, The Canadian Press