A national taxpayers' watchdog is taking its message on the road this summer, warning Saskatchewan residents about what it calls the province’s “runaway debt problem.” The Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF) brought its massive “debt clock” truck to Humboldt on Tuesday, July 15, a visual reminder of how quickly the province’s debt is rising in real time.
“We’re talking about billions of dollars, and sometimes that number just goes over people’s heads,” said Gage Haubrich, Prairie Director for the CTF. “But when you see the debt going up second by second on the side of a truck, it really hits home.”
The CTF is a non-partisan, nonprofit organization that advocates for lower taxes, less government waste, and more accountability. Its traveling debt clock tour aims to highlight what it sees as troubling fiscal trends in Saskatchewan.
“When Premier Scott Moe took office in 2018, Saskatchewan’s debt was around $11 billion. Now we’re sitting at over $22 billion,” said Haubrich. “That’s a doubling of the debt in just a few years, and it’s costing taxpayers in a big way.”
According to the CTF, interest payments on the debt alone will cost Saskatchewan taxpayers $878 million this year, without reducing the principal.
“That’s $878 million just in interest,” Haubrich emphasized. “That’s not going to schools, hospitals, or tax relief. That’s money gone, and every Saskatchewan resident is paying roughly $700 a year for it.”
Haubrich was also critical of the provincial government’s recent budget practices. He pointed to the 2024 public accounts, which showed the province overspent its budget by roughly $1 billion.
“If the government had simply stuck to what it said it would spend, like any family that makes a budget, we’d have a billion dollars available to reduce the debt or lower taxes,” he said. “Instead, they overspent and pushed the burden onto taxpayers.”
The debt clock tour will continue across Saskatchewan throughout the summer. Haubrich said the goal is to bring attention to the issue in communities across the province and encourage residents to demand fiscal responsibility from their elected officials.
“Our hope is that people will see how quickly the debt is growing and start putting pressure on their local representatives,” he said. “It’s time for the government to get serious about controlling spending and bringing this debt down before it gets even worse.”
The CTF has made it clear that its efforts are aimed at holding all governments accountable, regardless of political party.
“We’re non-partisan,” said Haubrich. “Whether it’s the Saskatchewan Party, the NDP, or anyone else — if they hike taxes or mismanage money, we’re going to call them out.”