Legislative Report for September 14, 2005

Saskatchewan families are facing record costs. The price to fill the family car is astronomical, SaskPower is looking at a rate hike, and finally, SaskEnergy wants an average 27% increase on the price of natural gas. How are Saskatchewan families expected to pay their bills this winter? Just when people in Saskatchewan start getting ahead, the government knocks them down.

Saskatchewan is rich in oil and gas. And that means, when people are facing increased costs, the government is raking in millions and millions of dollars when prices are high. Isn’t it time Saskatchewan people benefit from living in the province that’s the second largest producer of oil?

I have told you about our Saskatchewan Party plan that has proposed a revenue neutral way of reducing the provincial gas tax. Also, earlier this year, we proposed that the government should reduce taxes for anyone earning under $35,000 a year. Under this plan, those in this income bracket would pay virtually no provincial income tax – and the money they save could help out with rising costs.

We know the government can’t control the price of natural gas or oil, and we’re not asking them to. What we are asking them to do is look at what is within their jurisdiction to fix – the gas tax and taxes for low income earners are two such things. When times are good for the government, it’s only logical that all people should share in those good times. Unfortunately, there seems to be a huge disconnect between the Calvert NDP and the general public. It’s time for Lorne Calvert and his cronies to get down from their stack of money and take notice that in many cases Saskatchewan people are just getting by.

Past Legislative Reports