The Prairie Division of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation is calling on the provincial government to find savings after running a projected deficit in the first quarter of the fiscal year.
"When we look at the first quarter update, I think it's obviously important to highlight that it makes sense that the government's going to be spending more money on things like wildfires and disasters of that sort," said CTF Prairie Director and southwest product Gage Haubrich. "But the problem for taxpayers is that the government didn't look anywhere else to find savings. It's one thing to say, okay, there's this disaster, we've got to work on it, but it's another thing to use it as an excuse to keep spending more year after year after year, because this isn't a new thing for the government."
He pointed out that the government hasn't met projections for a number of years.
"If we look about since 2020, the government has overspent its budget every year," Haubrich said. "So, it's not just a wildfire problem. It's consistent overspending by the government. While taxpayers understand that there's disasters going on, we also say this can't be used as an excuse, and savings need to be found elsewhere."
Saskatchewan is forecasting a deficit of $349 million for the first quarter, compared to a projected $12 million surplus in the 2025-26 Budget.
"While economic uncertainty is creating financial challenges both nationally and globally, Saskatchewan's financial position remains stable," Deputy Premier and Finance Minister Jim Reiter said in a government release. "We will continue to protect and advocate for the province's economic interests."