Legislative Report (20 March 2008)

Budget 2008 - Ready for Growth

FIRST SASKATCHEWAN PARTY BUDGET IS “READY FOR GROWTH”

Your Saskatchewan Party government’s first budget, Ready For Growth, is about continuing to keep promises, sustaining the economic momentum, and making sure everyone shares in the benefits of a growing economy. The centre-piece of the $9 billion budget is $1 billion in capital investments including: more than $400 million for roads and highways, close to $200 million for hospitals and health facilities, $164 million for new K-12 school projects and post-secondary capital, $139 million for municipal infrastructure and community facilities, and $98 million for other initiatives, including parks and forest-fire fleet renewal.

THE RIGHT PRESCRIPTION FOR HEALTHCARE

The Ready For Growth budget also provides a long-term fix for previously unaddressed shortfalls in healthcare. There is a $191 million investment in capital under the Ready For Growth initiative, which will go toward fixing existing hospitals and health facilities, to continue building the new provincial laboratory, to buy medical equipment, and to begin building much needed infrastructure.

FIXING CRUMBLING ROADS

The 2008-2009 provincial budget includes a record investment in this province’s highways and roads. With a province as big as ours, adequately funding transportation infrastructure is a critical to ensuring we sustain the current economic momentum. It was neglected for far too long by the previous administration. To that end, your Saskatchewan Party government is boosting transportation spending to $513 million – the largest transportation budget in Saskatchewan’s history and part of the $1 billion dollar Ready For Growth initiative for capital and infrastructure improvements.

PROVIDING OPPORTUNITY FOR YOUTH

The 2008-2009 budget provides incentive for young people who want to make their futures in Saskatchewan. Tuition for university students will be frozen for the fourth straight year, at a cost of $25.5 million. $12 million will be spent on the new Graduate Retention Program, which provides tuition rebates of up to $20,000 for post-secondary graduates who stay in Saskatchewan for seven years after graduation. More than $20 million is being spent on training seats for nurses, doctors, and other healthcare professionals at both Saskatchewan universities and SIAST.

LOWERING SCHOOL TAXES

Your Saskatchewan Party government’s first budget commits close to $157 million for education property tax relief. That’s the first step toward doubling the education property tax credit over four years. On farmland, that means average annual savings of $2,072; for homeowners $133.

MORE THAN JUST PROMISES KEPT

Keeping the promises we made during last fall’s election campaign has been very important in our first four months of government. It still is. With the Ready For Growth budget, we have now kept a more than forty of campaign promises. This carefully planned balanced budget will allow us to maintain the economic momentum we are currently enjoying and will ensure that everyone shares in the benefits. Most importantly, though, is that it sets the stage for growth. We only have to look at our neighbour to the west, Alberta, to see what happens when newfound economic prosperity isn’t handled properly. They weren’t Ready For Growth. Saskatchewan is.

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