The Saskatchewan Legislative Building can be seen from Trafalgar Overlook in Regina, Thursday, Oct. 24, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Heywood Yu
REGINA – Saskatchewan’s provincial election is on Monday. Here’s a look at some of the campaign promises made by the two major parties:
Saskatchewan Party
– Continue withholding federal carbon levy payments to Ottawa on natural gas until the end of 2025.
– Reduce personal income tax rates over four years; a family of four would save $3,400.
– Double the Active Families Benefit to $300 per child per year and the benefit for children with disabilities to $400 a year.
– Direct all school divisions to ban “biological boys” from girls’ change rooms in schools.
– Increase the First-Time Homebuyers Tax Credit to $15,000 from $10,000.
– Reintroduce the Home Renovation Tax Credit, allowing homeowners to claim up to $4,000 in renovation costs on their income taxes; seniors could claim up to $5,000.
– Extend coverage for insulin pumps and diabetes supplies to seniors and young adults
– Provide a 50 per cent refundable tax credit – up to $10,000 – to help cover the cost of a first fertility treatment.
– Hire 100 new municipal officers and 70 more officers with the Saskatchewan Marshals Service.
– Amend legislation to provide police with more authority to address intoxication, vandalism and disturbances on public property.
– Platform cost of $1.2 billion, with deficits in the first three years and a small surplus in 2027.
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NDP
– Pause the 15-cent-a-litre gas tax for six months, saving an average family about $350.
– Remove the provincial sales tax from children’s clothes and ready-to-eat grocery items like rotisserie chickens and granola bars.
– Pass legislation to limit how often and how much landlords can raise rent.
– Repeal the law that requires parental consent when children under 16 want to change their names or pronouns at school.
– Launch a provincewide school nutrition program.
– Build more schools and reduce classroom sizes.
– Hire 800 front-line health-care workers in areas most in need.
– Launch an accountability commission to investigate cost overruns for government projects.
– Scrap the marshals service.
– Hire 100 Mounties and expand detox services.
– Platform cost of $3.5 billion, with small deficits in the first three years and a small surplus in the fourth year.
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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 27, 2024.
