Legislative Report
(22 January 2014)

Working on the Next Provincial Budget

Our government is busy working on the next provincial budget. As we look forward to what 2014 could hold for our economy, it’s predicted that resource revenue will be down slightly. While this isn’t great news, we will continue to work with business to promote Saskatchewan as a great place to do business. With the next budget in mind, our government will continue to invest in key areas while maintaining our commitment to spend tax dollars responsibly while growing our province.

Recently released wholesale and manufacturing numbers show that Saskatchewan’s economy is strong, diverse and growing.

In November 2013, our wholesale activity had the highest percentage growth in the country and the highest for the month of November in our history. In real terms, this means our seasonally-adjusted basis as wholesale trade increased to more than $2 billion for the month of November. November year-over-year wholesale trade increased by 16.8 per cent (seasonally-adjusted) compared to 2012, which ranks Saskatchewan first in percentage growth among the provinces for this category.

Growth is also seen in our manufacturing sector, which is among the national leaders according the Statistics Canada. Last November sales topped $1.4 billion (seasonally-adjusted), that’s a four percent increase just from the month before and a 19.6 percent increase year-over-year. This means Saskatchewan ranked second in percentage growth among the provinces. The manufacturing sector is showing diversified growth that employs more than 27,000 people in highly skilled jobs throughout Saskatchewan. The most noteworthy growth can be found in the food sector with an increase of 21.4 percent year-over-year; fabricated metal, machinery and equipment both increased by 8.5 percent. It’s interesting to note, every dollar manufacturing produces creates approximately $3.15 in economic activity.

This economic activity is a major reason we saw nearly 20,000 new residents and more than 18,000 new jobs created in Saskatchewan. With this news, our government is working harder than ever to ensure we have the skilled labour force to meet existing and future labour market needs. This is why we set the goal of adding 60,000 more people to our workforce by 2020. To meet this goal, we are investing in post-secondary students to provide training that will prepare them to find a career and build their future right here in Saskatchewan. To find out more about post-secondary education opportunities please visit http://ae.gov.sk.ca.

Despite the fact there is still snow on the ground and quite a few weeks of winter to go, this is the time of year when a lot of Saskatchewan people start making their summer vacation plans. Often these plans include a stay at one of our provincial parks.

Seasonal camping offers the opportunity to secure a campsite from May to September and the deadline for applications is Thursday, January 30, 2014. Sites, which are allocated by a lottery system, will be awarded on Monday, February 3, 2014. As in the past two seasons, nightly campers will be able to book sites online or through the reservation call centre. The online system will open March 3, 2014, with specific park reservation opening dates staggered throughout the week.

 

Past Legislative Reports