Opposition Leader Carla Beck and Erika Ritchie, Crown Investments Corporation critic, on Aug. 3, 2023. (Nicole Garn/980 CJME)

By CJME News

CROWN COSTS

Financial showings of Saskatchewan Crowns could bring utility hike: NDP

Aug 4, 2023 | 6:00 PM

The Saskatchewan NDP says losses and lower profits reported by Crown corporations in the province could mean an increase to utility bills for the people of Saskatchewan.

The reports revealed losses in earnings by Crown corporations like SaskEnergy, SGI Canada and SaskPower, with the latter taking a massive hit with a net loss of $172 million.

Opposition Leader Carla Beck said Friday the Saskatchewan Party’s decision to silently release the reports shows a lack of transparency.

“This lack of accountability shows how little respect they have for the people of Saskatchewan, that they think they can miss their target by almost $250 million and not have to answer for it,” said Beck.

She said the government’s solution to the loss is additional hikes to taxes and utility bills.

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“That simply is not a solution. The first thing you would see from an NDP government is increased transparency and using of committees, not throwing up billboards and telling people that everything is just fine. (The NDP would be) actually working with the people to find solutions,” she said.

According to Beck, Scott Moe and his government have not made themselves available to answer the NDP’s questions about the Crown finances. She also said the government is using the upcoming byelections as an excuse, yet it continues to hold media conferences and put out news releases.

Minister of Crown Investments Don Morgan explained the decision to Gormley on Thursday.

The NDP wants to know how the Sask. Party missed its profit target by $243 million and brought in only $7.4 million across all of the Crown Investments Corporation of Saskatchewan (CIC) Crowns in 2022, why the operating and salary costs at CIC increased by 13 per cent last year, and why the government took $237 million from the Crowns and put it into the General Revenue Fund.

Beck said moving that money to the General Revenue Fund is forcing families to pick up the tab through utility hikes.

Erika Ritchie, the NDP’s Crown Investments Corporation critic, said the people of Saskatchewan deserve answers as to why they’re paying more in utilities.

“Scott Moe hiked power rates three times this past year, and somehow SaskPower still lost $172 million, a historic loss,” said Ritchie.

She said that mismanagement has cost Saskatchewan families an annual increase of $1,608 in taxes and utilities over the past five years.