(From left to right) MLAs Joe Hargrave, Alana Ross and Nadine Wilson. (Submitted photos)

By paNOW Staff

BUDGET REACTION

Prince Albert and area MLAs respond to provincial budget

Mar 23, 2022 | 5:33 PM

Prince Albert – Carlton MLA Joe Hargrave and Alana Ross from Prince Albert – Northcote spoke to paNOW following the budget presentation in the legislature.

As the budget proclaimed many times, the plan is meant to get P.A. and the province “back on track.”

“(We’re) where we need to be in supporting people, where we need to be to grow our strong economy again and get back to that building a strong Saskatchewan that we’ve been working towards,” said Hargrave.

The budget featured a record $6.8 billion in spending for health care, which includes $21.6 million to address the surgical waitlist that built up during the COVID pandemic.

Ross mentioned that $13.5 million will be earmarked for the Victoria Hospital project.

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Hargrave also touched on other matters of funding for Prince Albert specifically.

“There’s big increases in justice, policing, and corrections. There’s big increases in social services, and that’s going to help us out. Mental health and addictions, there’s money in there and that’s going to help us out. We got a couple of million dollars to the NICU units, $2.2 million.”

Ross also touched on funding that will go towards the twinning of Highway 3.

“It’s exciting times in Prince Albert,” added Hargrave. “We got lots of opportunities coming there. We got jobs, construction jobs with the hospital, with the arenas, with the OSB plant with Paper Excellence.”

While both MLA shared in their enthusiasm for the budget, some taxpayers may be left feeling blue after hearing additional taxes that will be put on.

Starting Oct. 1, the six per cent PST will be collected on green fees and gym memberships, and on tickets to fairs, concerts, museums, entertainment events and sporting events, such as Prince Albert Raider games.

Costs of tobacco products will also be going up and the education portion of the mill rate will be increasing, with the owners of residential homes paying on average $13 more per year.

Hargrave and Ross added it’s unfortunate some taxes and rates will be going up, but it’s necessary to help Saskatchewan get back on track financially.

“It’s helping to improve revenue stability. We have for so many years been, dependent on natural resource revenue to do that. This brings in a little more revenue that we can use back towards us supporting people,” said Hargrave.

“It is entertainment and going to sporting events and athletic events and things like that. But family events are exempt for that so, it’s not putting increased hardships on family events,” added Ross. “It’s also bringing us in line with the rest of the provinces and it’s being broadened to match the federal GST for admission to our entertainment.”

Meanwhile, the MLA for Sask Rivers, north of Prince Albert, was overall happy with the budget but still feels more could have been done.

Nadine Wilson was glad to see increased money for the agriculture sector, however, “I noticed there’s not enough seats in veterinarian medicine. We’re short of veterinarians in Saskatchewan (and) right in Prince Albert,” she said.

She also said more attention should be given to those working at private care homes.

“They’re having challenges retaining qualified staff and the budget did not address that.”

She added the wages they earn are just not competitive with those who work in publicly funded homes.

Wilson also touched on the Highway 3 twinning and that there were increases provincewide for senior citizens.

–With files from 650 CKOM

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panews@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @princealbertnow