By Lisa Schick

Sask. releasing mid-year financial report Monday

Nov 30, 2015 | 6:12 AM

The question of how the province’s finances are doing will be answered Monday when the government releases the mid-year financials.
 
The NDP is questioning why it took so long to release; normally the report would have been out earlier this month.
 
Trent Wotherspoon, the NDP’s critic for finance, says he thinks the government pushed the report back on purpose so they could release it after the legislative session was over.
 
“It’s weak that government wouldn’t be accountable and present the mid-year’s during the session, instead choosing to hide their deficit, hide their cuts, and choose not to be accountable.”
 
Wotherspoon called the decision disappointing.
 
“Sadly, this is the kind of stuff, though, that we’re starting to see quite regularly from this government. Not being transparent, not answering to the public, not being accountable.”
 
In August, the first-quarter financials showed the province on track to rack up a $292-million deficit.
 
At the time, the provincial government blamed it on the plummeting price of oil, and the added cost of fighting northern wildfires.
 
“While it’s concerning, obviously, it is manageable,” said Finance Minister Kevin Doherty.
 
Earlier in November, Doherty addressed the deficit again. He said each Crown and ministry is being asked to find efficiencies.
 
“Do you need to fill those vacancies? Can we look at overtime, on vacation liability, to manage the vacation liability, on travel, on advertising?”
 
Doherty denied pulled-back money from third parties, something the NDP has accused it of when it comes to education and health care.
 
In August, the province said it would have the books balanced again by the end of the fiscal year.

 Email lschick@cjme.com
 Twitter @LMSchickler