Below you'll find MLA Tim McLeod's Report from the Legislature for March 21, 2024.
The views expressed below are solely the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official stance of Golden West.
Saskatchewan’s 2024-25 Budget makes record new investments in classrooms, care and communities. The budget includes the largest-ever increase in school operating funding, the largest-ever increase in health funding and the largest-ever increase in municipal revenue sharing for Saskatchewan communities.
The budget is designed to ensure growth continues in our great province. Saskatchewan’s population continues to grow faster than it has in more than a century and will reach 1.25 million people this year. In addition to more people, the labour market continues to grow, with more jobs and a low unemployment rate that combine to help fuel the provincial economy.
Revenue is forecast at $19.9 billion, up $184.2 million from last year’s budget. There are no new taxes and no tax increases in this year’s budget, helping keep life affordable for Saskatchewan residents.
The budget includes $2.0 billion in previously announced tax reductions and other affordability measures. When taxes, utilities and housing costs are combined, our province is the most affordable place to live in Canada for a family of four.
Our government will invest in what matters most to Saskatchewan people – classrooms, care and communities.
The 2024-25 Budget supports students and teachers through a record-level total education budget of $4.4 billion. This includes $3.3 billion for the Ministry of Education, up 8.1 per cent over last year’s budget. This is an increase of $247.8 million to support Prekindergarten to Grade 12 students, early learning, child care and libraries.
Saskatchewan’s 27 school divisions will receive $2.2 billion in school operating funding for the 2024-25 school year, a record increase of $180 million, or 8.8 per cent, over the previous year.
The budget includes a record $7.6 billion investment into the Ministry of Health and includes funding to expand patient care and increase access to services to meet the needs of our growing population.
For cities, towns, villages and municipalities throughout Saskatchewan, this budget provides a record increase of $42.4 million in municipal revenue sharing. This is an increase of 14.2 per cent from the year before, and a total of $340.2 million in unconditional support for municipalities in the province.
Capital investment is expected to reach $14.2 billion this year, making Saskatchewan a leading contributor to economic growth in Canada. The budget helps further strengthen our strong and growing economy, focusing on expanding our presence in international markets while building a stronger Saskatchewan.
The budget invests a record $4.4 billion into the Saskatchewan Capital Plan to build schools, hospitals, highways, municipal and Crown infrastructure.
The 2024-25 Budget addresses many priorities for the people of Saskatchewan, with a clear focus on classrooms, care and communities. These areas impact everyone in our province – from the seniors who helped build our province into the great place it is today to our future leaders who are just making their way into the world, as well as everyone in between.
Thanks to the growth of our province, we have more people, more jobs and more opportunities for the people and families that call Saskatchewan home. The 2024-25 Budget meets the challenges of a growing province by re-investing the benefits of a growing province in classrooms, care and communities.
To learn more about the 2024-25 Budget, please visit www.saskatchewan.ca/budget. If you have any questions, please reach out to my constituency office at 306-692-8884 or mjnorthmla@sasktel.net.