The provincial budget tabled on March 19 was the central topic of a town hall meeting hosted by the Weyburn-Bengough Constituency Association of the Saskatchewan NDP on Thursday night. Held at the Ramada Hotel in Weyburn, the event featured Shadow Minister of Finance Trent Wotherspoon and Shadow Minister for Human Rights Jacqueline Roy, who addressed a range of economic and social concerns raised by attendees.
Wotherspoon opened the evening by reflecting on the budget's lack of contingency planning in light of current economic uncertainty, particularly in relation to trade pressures and international tariffs affecting key Saskatchewan exports like canola and livestock.
“This budget fails to step up to the challenges we’re facing,” Wotherspoon said, pointing to what he described as a reduction in funding for health care and a lack of targeted supports for families and businesses affected by global economic instability. He also criticized the government’s use of what he claimed were overly optimistic oil price projections, which he said give an inaccurate picture of provincial revenues and create an illusion of a surplus.
Jacqueline Roy, who also serves as a former teacher and education advocate, focused her remarks on health care, education, and social services. She noted concern over a “historic” lack of funding to support class size and composition, despite these priorities being acknowledged in recent teacher contract negotiations.
Roy also cited the impact of not signing on to the federal $10-a-day child care program, saying it has created stress for working families who face uncertainty in both child care and cost-of-living pressures.
Throughout the event, attendees raised questions about homelessness, addictions, and support for frontline health care workers. A number of those in attendance shared concerns over the staffing and resource levels in health care facilities, particularly in rural areas like Weyburn, where the upcoming hospital project may be challenged by shortages in anesthesiologists and laboratory technicians.
Wotherspoon responded by highlighting what he described as “significant investments” being outsourced to out-of-province contractors, including a treatment facility that sat empty for months after renovations due to delays in patient intake. He emphasized the need for more transparent and accountable local solutions, particularly in mental health and addictions services.
Roy pointed out that the NDP caucus has redistributed its critics' portfolios to increase oversight on social services, mental health, addictions, and housing. “We’re working hard to bring these issues forward—many of which are often overshadowed in broader political coverage,” she said.
While the event had a political undertone—frequent references were made to the current government’s fiscal decisions—many questions from the audience centered on practical, community-based concerns: access to care, local economic stability, and the need for responsive planning.
Wotherspoon closed the session by thanking attendees for their engagement. “We know our greatest resource is our people,” he said. “And people deserve a budget that reflects that.”