Yes, the budget is not bad. It has a very small $50 million surplus. It decreases taxes a bit for lower income earners. Yet, it does nothing to address issues with housing, with a paltry $1.7 million allocated, it does nothing to address the shortage of doctors in Saskatchewan, with resident doctors still not being able to convince the government to pay the 300 of them above minimum wage, or anywhere near the Canadian Average. And the Sask Party really did nothing to earn this $50 million, a thank you is owed to Potash Corp and Mosaic for another stand up year.
However, despite the Sask Party and Don McMorris’ fiscal restraint, and saving thousands a year by keeping resident doctors below minimum wage, and the Canadian average, they did find $5.1 million to make late night beer runs more affordable at off-sale outlets. Hopefully we don’t go over board on the new cheaper beer though, as there will be no rural doctor to see you after you crash your car or get alcohol poisoning. Oddly, it would have been exponentially cheaper for the government to finally pay its 300 resident doctors above average, with full back pay, than to make beer more affordable. But I guess we know what Mr Wall’s priorities are now don’t we?
http://www.leaderpost.com/Beer+Saskatchewan+budget+includes+first+beer+discount+since+1993/4492082/story.html