An Economy at the Service of All People

As a matter of principle under its constitution, the party states that is rooted in, and all of its activities shall be guided by and conform with economic freedom in a market economy which encourages the creation of wealth through free enterprise, and protection of the right to own, enjoy and exchange property.

The party advocates:
– promoting programs to provide essential services back to small rural communities, thereby creating jobs and fostering future growth within the healthier environment that small communities offer
– pursuing cooperation with Alberta and Manitoba, to enhance the utilization of the Port of Churchill for the benefit of all three provinces
– strengthening strengthen trade relations with the bordering U.S. states of North Dakota and Montana
– using every reasonable means to negotiate a better deal for Saskatchewan or possibly terminate Saskatchewan’s participation in the federal transfer payments program
– exploring ways to support the three power plants between Estevan and Coronach (Shand, Boundary Dam, Poplar River), associated coal mines, and coal communities, including potential new coal export markets, value-added processes for coal by-products, and the further development of Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage (CCUS) technology
– a comprehensive review of Crown Corporations, including their processes for determining rates for businesses and individuals, to identify ways of improving or restructuring them, and including issue each citizen of Saskatchewan over the age of 18 one voting share in each Crown Corporation, to entitle the shareholder to dividends, an equal voice, and an equal vote at shareholder meetings, including elections for the Crown Corporations’ Board of Directors
– a comprehensive review of government red tape shall be undertaken with the goal of making Saskatchewan the best province in Canada to open and operate a business, invest in new industries, and hire Saskatchewan workers
– giving preference in provincial contracting to Saskatchewan companies first, followed by other western provincial companies for all provincial projects, and ensuring that Saskatchewan shall not work with questionable companies, by exiting the New West Partnership and implementing a “Saskatchewan First” policy
– seeking provincial control over trade in Saskatchewan resources, enabling trade with American neighbors without federal intervention, and working with provincial neighbors for safe access to tidewater, opening more markets to Saskatchewan’s products.

Housing & Poverty Reduction 

The party advocates:
– focusing government on measurable strategies to alleviate the true suffering of the impoverished and downtrodden, rather than promoting income equality. This approach will involve honest discussions and evidence-based measures to address poverty.
– legislation requiring residential landlords to repair and maintain essential services, such as shelter, water, and heat, within a reasonable timeframe. In cases where repairs cannot be completed promptly, landlords must provide alternative accommodations until the necessary repairs are finished.
– legislation to provide necessary supports for tenants receiving social assistance, ensuring their housing needs are adequately met.
– direct rent payment and landlord protection, including a system to pay rent directly to landlords for tenants on social assistance, and exploring measures to protect landlords from liability for unpaid utilities incurred by tenants.
– to ensure that seniors have access to necessary healthcare services, establishing a voucher system to facilitate travel for seniors from rural areas to urban centers for medical testing.
– exploration and implementation of measures to provide safe and affordable transportation options for seniors throughout the province.

Labour Unions, Employment

The party advocates:
– ensuring that businesses receive the same subsidies for employing local workers as they do for hiring temporary foreign workers, in order to promote fair employment practices and support the local workforce.

Industries & Corporations

Agriculture
The party advocates:
– a Small Farms Initiative, to provide education to individuals and families on achieving greater food self-reliance
– an exemption from capital gains tax for sales of farmland to Saskatchewan residents or family members returning to Saskatchewan
– ending the grant of foreign ownership exemptions under the Farm Securities Act, 1984, for land intended for primary agricultural production. Existing foreign ownership exemptions would remain valid; however, no modifications, renewals, or transfers would be permitted for land used for primary agricultural production. The farmland ownership rules as set forth in the Farm Securities Act would be strictly enforced
– establishing a Saskatchewan Food Inspection Agency to replace the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), supporting a comprehensive “farm to fork” policy
– reduction of regulatory barriers associated with the “farm to fork” process in Saskatchewan
– introduction of legislation to reduce corporate income taxes for startup agri-food value-added processing businesses in Saskatchewan
– removal of all barriers that hinder the production of hemp products in Saskatchewan, including farm operations
– new legislation to tax and regulate the ownership of mega-farmland (over 100,000 acres) similarly to how royalties and oversight are applied to the mining industry
– removal of mandatory French labeling requirements on food packaging, and reduction of other restrictive regulations to facilitate the import of food products not produced in Saskatchewan from global sources

An Economy at the Service of All People

The party:
– asserts that the key to social justice is the equitable distribution of social and natural resources, both locally and globally, to meet basic human needs unconditionally, and to ensure that all citizens have full opportunities for personal and social development.
– declares that there is no social justice without environmental justice, and no environmental justice without social justice.

The party advocates:
– a just organization of the world and a stable world economy which will close the widening gap between rich and poor, both within and between countries
– balancing flow of resources from South to North
– lifting the burden of debt on poor countries which prevents their development
– the eradication of poverty, as an ethical, social, economic, and ecological imperative
– the elimination of illiteracy
– a new vision of citizenship built on equal rights for all individuals regardless of gender, race, age, religion, class, ethnic or national origin, sexual orientation, disability, wealth or health

Community based economics

The party states that:
– it recognizes that it is essential to create a vibrant and sustainable economic system, one that can create jobs and provide a decent standard of living for all people while maintaining a healthy ecological balance.
– a successful economic system will offer meaningful work with dignity, while paying a living wage which reflects the real value of a person’s work.
– local communities must develop an economy that assures protection of the environment and worker’s rights, broad citizen participation in planning, and enhancement of our quality of life.
– it supports cooperatives and public enterprises that distribute resources and control to more people through democratic participation.

Culture of Cooperation and Mutual Aid

The party states that:
– it believes in the concept of a cooperative rather than competitive human society.
– while both of these elements exist in Nature (including human nature), our industrial society has placed far too much emphasis on competition.
– a change in outlook away from competition and towards cooperation and mutual aid must take place both at the personal, social and global levels.

Housing & Poverty Reduction

Basic Income

The party states that:
– the rising costs of living and housing as an urgent issue that is causing mounting social and economic costs. The cost of living has Saskatchewan residents struggling to pay rent, feed their families or escape abusive relationships. This leaves voters faced with increased risks of health challenges, homelessness, addiction, productivity and job loss, criminal activity and violence.
– it proposes decisive action to put in place wholistic solutions to these problems.
– a Basic Income Guarantee would reflect Saskatchewan people’s shared value system in which we all deserve the dignity of being housed and fed. It advocates building a system that fosters a culture of helping people in need rather than erecting barriers.
– it commits to ending homelessness.

The party advocates:
– to end welfare in Saskatchewan, the social safety net of a Basic Income Guarantee that is income contingent, incorporates incentives to work, and serves as a well-designed, efficient, response to the climate emergency, emerging infectious diseases, and the threat of AI causing rapid and unpredictable disruptions in our economies.
– Housing First!

Labour Unions & Employment

The party states that:
– inevitably, jobs in fossil fuel sectors will disappear.
– it is committed to a fair and caring transition of workers from these sectors into new one, including measures such as income protection, job guarantees, retraining and resettlement; details of the programs to be developed in partnership with workers and their unions.
– in implementing a just transition framework for oil, gas and coal sector workers that reflects the unique conditions of each community, it advocates an approach modeled on the recommendations of the Task Force on Just Transition for Canadian Coal Power Workers and Communities, which it would implement in full.

Just transition would include:
– meeting directly with affected communities to learn about their local priorities, and to connect them with federal programs that could support their goals.
– establishing a dedicated, comprehensive, inclusive and flexible just transition funding program for affected communities.
– developing and implementing a plan for workers in fossil fuel sectors, championed by a lead minister who oversees and reports on progress.
– integrating transition provisions into provincial environmental and labour legislation and regulations, as well as relevant inter-governmental agreements.
– establishing a targeted, long-term research fund for studying the impact of the sector phase-out and the transition to a low-carbon economy.
– ensuring locally available support, including funding the establishment and operation of locally-driven transition centres in affected communities.
– identifying and funding local infrastructure projects in affected communities.
– establishing pathways to retirement by creating a pension bridging program for workers who will retire earlier than planned due to the phase-out.
– creating a detailed and publicly available jobs inventory with labour market information pertaining to oil, coal and gas workers, such as skills profiles, demographics, locations, and current and potential employers.
– creating a comprehensive funding program for workers staying in the labour market to address their needs across the stages of securing a new job, including income support, education and skills building, re-employment, and mobility.
– investing in comprehensive retraining and apprenticeship programs for industrial trades workers for jobs in the transition to a zero-carbon economy, especially the renewable and energy efficiency sectors.

Industries & Corporations, Competition & Consumers

The party has published no further current statement concerning its policies relating to:
• Corporations, Competition, and Consumers

An Economy at the Service of All People

The party states that:
– the heart of its economic agenda is putting local workers and local businesses first.
– over more than a decade, the current government has handed every one of the biggest public projects to a company from outside of Saskatchewan.  Saskatchewan workers and companies should come first, along with building on the strength of the province’s Crown Corporations.
– every dollar spent by the province should benefit the local economy as much as possible.
– its top priorities are introducing a Sask-First Procurement Policy and bringing the minimum wage up to $15/hour in a first term in office.

To that end, the party advocates:
– removing PST from construction labour, putting more than $200 million back into the economy every year.
– introducing a Rural Reconnect program to provide high-quality Internet and cellular service everywhere in Saskatchewan.
– lowering Saskatchewan Government Insurance (SGI) rates by roughly $85 per vehicle and providing an immediate $100 rebate to all policy-holders – which the Sask. Party refuses to do even though SGI cannot legally hold onto surplus funds.
– building a new Saskatchewan Transportation Company that meets the needs of today’s families and businesses.
– restoring balance to Saskatchewan’s labour legislation so that workers can join unions, have safe workplaces and get fair contracts from employers.
– enacting pay equity legislation.
– working with small businesses and industry representatives on a province-wide Buy Saskatchewan campaign.
– instituting a job creators’ plan to support local small businesses as they adapt to the vital and necessary $15/hour minimum wage.
– reinstating startup loans for rural small businesses.
– introducing a film employment tax credit to bring the film industry back to Saskatchewan.
– working with the tech sector to make Saskatchewan more competitive with other jurisdictions.
– reducing the craft beer levy to help our producers compete across the country.
– lowering crop insurance rates for new farmers to help them get started and provide $20 million per year to increase AgriStability reference margins.
– improving the recognition of foreign credentials to allow more of our newest Canadians to fully participate in the economy.
– investing $10 million to help workers train and retrain to stay competitive in a changing world of work.
– creating a new internship program to help young people get their first good job working for the provincial government and with our Crowns.

The party states that:
– it is concerned about the state of crumbling schools and hospitals across the province, and lack of action by recent governments.
– rather than solving basic infrastructure problems, the current government has chosen to focus on projects like the Regina Bypass and the GTH, and they have sent contracts out of province rather than creating jobs for Saskatchewan workers.

Corporations, Competition & Consumers

Transportation & Infrastructure

The party advocates:
– implementing a Sask-First procurement policy to ensure that Saskatchewan workers and companies build Saskatchewan schools, hospitals and roads.
– ending the preference of recent governments for mega-schools and focusing instead on ensuring neighbourhoods have small local schools that meet their needs.
– ending the use of expensive P3s that cost much more in the long run and shut out Saskatchewan companies.
– committing to fulfilling the government’s ten-year SaskBuilds capital plan, reprioritizing to the most needed projects.
– building a new bridge for Prince Albert and a new hospital, rather than renovating as the current government has promised.
– building a new high school in southeast Regina.
– delivering on the decade-old promise of an all-season road to Wollaston Lake.
– building a new public surgical centre in Regina.
– increasing SaskTel’s investment in highspeed and wireless infrastructure to ensure rural communities have high-quality broadband and cellular service.
– bringing back the Community Rink Grant program to help keep community rinks in rural communities and First Nations open.
– clearing the $5 billion backlog on upkeep for schools and hospitals, starting by increased spending on deferred maintenance in healthcare and education infrastructure by 50 percent.

An Economy at the Service of All

To build a strong and diversified economy, the party advocates:
– recognizing the advantages of our unique provincial landscape, and promoting solar panels and wind farms;
– implementing incentives to reduce emissions through programs like the Feed-In Tariff System;
– partnering with the province of Manitoba to create a hydro power grid;
– partnering with Indigenous communities, to allow for local sustainable activities to thrive and be part of the solution;
– investing in research and development at Saskatchewan’s universities on clean energy;
– creating economic opportunities for canola producers wishing to enter the canola-based bio-diesel market; and
– working with the private sector to provide electrical charging stations for vehicles at intervals of 100 kilometers on all major highways in the province
– pursuing development of a nuclear power generation and/or enrichment facility in coordination with the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission and Nuclear Waste Management Organization
– bringing back the Film Tax Credit with the offering of a hybrid model of both transferable and partially refundable credits available;
– working with businesses and those in the industry, committing to major investments in such things as studios and permanent sound stages and other big-ticket items, allowing the province to become a central location for future TV and film opportunities that would go well beyond anything else in most of Canada;
– creating an interactive digital multimedia tax credit policy that is competitive with the global market as part of a plan to diversify the Saskatchewan economy to its full potential;
– attracting companies and educators to come to Saskatchewan in the interactive digital multimedia field;
– offering, for a period of four years, a direct tax rebate of 100% per year per person for all artists and the traveling support staff they employ (drivers, setup crew, etc.) for income earned at three performances per year;
– the rebate cap would apply to an additional three performances per year for artists’ income if the performance(s) are recorded and released as an audio “Live Album” within one year of the performance(s) with the venue or festival name included; and
– the rebate cap for artists who reside in Saskatchewan would be 20 performances per year.

Housing & Poverty Reduction

To support families and communities, the party advocates:
– increasing the Saskatchewan Basic Personal Amount an individual can earn before starting to pay income from $16,065 to a number commensurate with a current full time minimum wage position in the province;
– increasing the Saskatchewan Low-Income Tax Credit (SLITC) to double its current amount;
– eliminating the Education portion of property tax;
– implementing PST exemptions for all basic/essential goods;
– allowing for input tax credits for businesses which will ensure it is applied only when a final product or service is provided to the consumer; and
– eliminating PST from all insurance products sold in Saskatchewan.

Affordable Housing

The party advocates:
– expanding existing support for assisted home ownership programs which achieve the goal of home ownership and increase the set of life skills in maintaining a home;
– creating a roundtable on sustainable communities, bringing together the policy and resources of the three levels of government, the business community, NGO’s, not-for-profit groups, and co-operatives to develop a strategy to provide affordable housing in Saskatchewan communities;
– working in partnership with aboriginal leadership and communities and with the federal government to invest in affordable housing for our growing urban Aboriginal population; and
– developing tax incentives to encourage private sector, organizations, and individual involvement in affordable housing initiatives.

Social Assistance

The party further advocates:
– redesigning Social Assistance rom the ground up writing a new, simpler Act;
– scrapping Saskatchewan Income Support (SIS) and replacing it with a more effective benefit package;
– reinstating the Rental Supplement including:

1. a) all Social Assistance clients will receive the Rental Supplement;
2. b) the Rental Supplement will subsidize rents to the cost of the average rent in Saskatchewan;
3. c) any resident who pays more than 40% of gross income towards rent will qualify; clients will be subsidized from 40% of income up to average rent or actual, whichever is less

– indexing Social Assistance rates to inflation;
– paying the actual cost of utilities for Social Assistance clients directly;
– providing Social Assistance clients with enough assistance that they are no longer having to sacrifice food or rent;
– simplifying rules for Saskatchewan Assured Income for Disability (SAID) whereby any client with a disability, who needs any type of assistance and whose quality of life is affected by the disability, qualifies for SAID. This includes ensuring SAID applications no longer assume that a permanent disability has suddenly, miraculously been healed.

Corporations, Competition & Consumers

The party advocates:
– creating a Minister of Science and Technology and a Science Secretariat to support the Minister and their office. The addition of Minister of Science to a cabinet need not be expensive as it would require only a small support staff. Members of a ten-member Science Secretariat would serve on a volunteer basis.

An Economy at the Service of All People

The party states that:
– a strong economy means a bright future for the province and its people. It allows the province to invest in areas that are priorities for the people of Saskatchewan, such as classrooms, care and communities. This is why it’s so important to focus on growing the provincial economy.

Among its Guiding Principles the party lists:
– Economic growth and job creation through the private sector, not government, as the engine of the economy;
– Smaller, less intrusive, more efficient government;
– Steady, gradual reduction in government spending and taxation while maintaining a firm commitment to balanced budgets;
– A strong social safety net which protects those who truly need support while encouraging individuals to become self sufficient;
– The constant improvement of Saskatchewan’s economic and social conditions within a strong and united Canada.

Housing & Poverty Reduction

Housing

The party states that:
– affordability for Saskatchewan families remains a top priority in the 2024-25 Provincial Budget. It continues to introduce and enhance programs to make life more affordable
for residents of the province.
– the province has among the lowest personal taxes in the country. Since 2007, Personal Income Tax (PIT) exemptions have removed more than 112,000 residents from the income tax roll. In total, PIT reductions during that time are providing over $830 million in annual income tax savings to Saskatchewan people. Annual indexation of the PIT brackets helps ensure that tax savings are not reduced by inflation.
– a Saskatchewan family of four with $100,000 in total income pays $2,627 less in combined provincial income and sales tax in 2024, compared to 2007. A family of four pays no Provincial Income Tax on their first $59,475 of combined income. This is the highest tax-free threshold in Canada – and more than twice as much as in 2007.
– a family with two adults, two dependent children, owning their own home with annual family income of $75,000, $100,000 and $125,000 have the lowest totals paid for taxes, utilities and housing in Canada.
– a single person living in rental accommodation, with an annual income of $40,000, ranks third in the country in affordability.
– in the 2024-25 Budget, Saskatchewan families will benefit from programs and services designed to make life affordable, including the Active Families Benefit, Children’s Drug Plan and $10/day child care for children under the age of six, as well as programs to help fund insulin pumps and glucose monitors.
– the budget also contains a $4-million increase to continue to meet the needs of children and their families through the Autism Spectrum Disorder Individualized Funding Program.

Homeowner Assistance
The party further states that for families or individuals looking to put down more permanent roots in their communities:
– the 2024-25 Budget is funding the PST Rebate on New Home Construction Program, which is helping make new home ownership more affordable. The Saskatchewan First-Time Homebuyers’ Tax Credit provides a non-refundable income tax credit of up to $1,050 to eligible taxpayers on qualified homes. Saskatchewan also has the second-lowest land transfer tax/registration fees paid by the buyer of a property.
– homeowners can benefit from the Saskatchewan Secondary Suite Incentive (SSI) Grant Program, which was developed to increase housing and rental availability in the province.
– homeowners will continue to receive additional relief this year as a result of the government’s direction to stop SaskEnergy and SaskPower from collecting the carbon tax on natural gas and electric residential home heating. This is in addition to a SaskEnergy rate decrease that lowered bills for the average residential customer by nearly eight per cent beginning in October 2023.

Income Assistance
The party states that in order to help low-income individuals and families meet their basic needs as they work to become more self-sufficient, its 2024-25 budget includes:
– funding of $7.4 million to increase Saskatchewan Income Support (SIS) Basic Shelter Benefits by three per cent, an increase of up to $60 per household per month.
– allocations to increase the Alternate Heating Benefit by $30 per month.
– 46.3 million to increase the Saskatchewan Assured Income for Disability (SAID) monthly Living Income Benefits by three per cent, representing a monthly increase of up to $55 per household.
– allocations for the Income Assistance Mobile Workforce, to place up to 10 more ministry employees on-site at select community-based organizations to support clients, and provide approximately 150 more clients with trusteeship and money management services to help them pay their rent and other bills each month.
– to improve support for at-risk families, children and youth, allocation of an additional $2.7 million to support additional residential care options for children and youth with complex behavioural needs, $500,000 in new funding to increase supports for youth transitioning from care and a $375,000 increase to bring intensive in-home support programs to communities where they do not currently exist.
– increased funding for the Ministry of Social Services for partners in providing care, including the Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder Network and Mobile Crisis Services in Regina, Saskatoon and Prince Albert.
– a $600,000 increase to foster care and extended family care allowance rates to help cover the costs of caring for a child.
– for implementation of the Provincial Approach to Homelessness, an increase of $16.7 million including a $7.2-million increase to support ongoing emergency shelter operations across the province and $9.5 million to develop supportive housing spaces in Regina and Saskatoon.
– to enable the Saskatchewan Housing Corporation to continue to provide affordable rental options to people and families in 280 communities across the province, an investment of $83.4 million for repair and maintenance of provincially owned housing units. This includes an additional $9.6 million in provincial funding to prevent and reduce vacancies and respond to the increasing demand for social housing.
– allocations to provide additional supports for residents with low and modest incomes, including the Low-Income Tax Credit, and support from the Saskatchewan Housing
Benefit which helps eligible renters with their shelter costs, including rent and utilities.

Labour, Unions & Employment

Work Force Training
The party states that:
– to help meet current and future labour market needs as the province grows, the Ministry of Immigration and Career Training receives $160.5 million in the 2024-25 Provincial Budget. This includes continued support for skills training programs and services for unemployed or underemployed persons, such as adult essential skills training, pre-employment programs and services, credentialled skills training programs delivered through post-secondary institutions and employment for persons with disabilities.
– the budget also includes an increase of $1.5 million for the Saskatchewan Apprenticeship Trade Certification Commission to add 250 additional seats for constructed-related trades, including electrician, plumbing and welding. This increases the investment in apprenticeship training to $22.9 million and expands the number of training seats to 4,700.
– to support the Health Human Resources Action Plan, the Ministry of Immigration and Career Training will invest in training and settlement supports for in-demand health professions. This includes training seats for continuing care aides, licensed practical nurses and medical lab assistants.
– the ministry’s budget also includes $856,000 to support record nominations through the Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program, which will help address the labour needs of Saskatchewan employers. Safeguards are being added to the program to enhance fraud detection and protect its integrity. Additionally, the Labour Mobility and Fair Registration Practices Office will continue to help individuals with foreign credentials or those who are licensed in other provinces navigate the licensure pathways with their respective regulators. This is another effort to ensure the province has a skilled workforce and trained professionals in place to support the growing economy.

Industries & Corporations

Small Businesses
The party states that:
– its 2020-2025 budget maintains the current small business tax rate of one per cent until returning it to two percent in July 2025. This is to help owners deal with the challenges they’re facing.
– the amount of eligible business income on which the small business tax rate applies will remain at $600,000 – the highest threshold in Canada.

Transportation
The party proposes:
– allocation of $29.5 million to support municipalities and industry partners in making strategic investments in the provincial transportation system, including support for economic growth and safety on rural municipal roads, including maintaining corridors for heavy trucks; construction and maintenance partnerships with urban municipalities; and truck route agreements and other municipal partnerships.
– unspecified additional funding from this year’s budget to support community airport improvements and help shortline railways maintain and upgrade their networks.

Infrastructure
The party states that:
– its 2024-25 Budget delivers the largest total capital budget in Saskatchewan history, the largest Crown corporation capital budget in Saskatchewan history and the largest Executive Government capital budget in Saskatchewan history.
– since 2008-09, the Government of Saskatchewan has invested more than $47.2 billion in infrastructure projects that provide essential services for the province

With respect to schools, the party states that:
– the Government of Saskatchewan has committed approximately $2.6 billion toward school capital since 2008-09. This includes 65 new schools, 32 major renovation projects and seven projects approved through the Minor Capital Renewal Program.
– its 2024-2025 budget allocates $216.0 million in education capital to provide safe and inclusive learning environments for students in Kindergarten to Grade 12 schools, including $165.9 million to support 11 ongoing new or consolidated school projects and three major renovations in Balgonie, Carlyle, Saskatoon, Regina, Prince Albert, Moose Jaw, Lanigan, La Loche and Wilcox.
– a further $8.8 million supports the planning for nine new schools and two renovations in Pinehouse, Regina, Saskatoon, Corman Park and Swift Current.
– to help schools faced with growing enrolment, the budget increases spaces for students by investing $28.5 million in relocatable classrooms.
– for post-secondary schools, the 2024-25 Budget invests $59 million in infrastructure at provincial institutions, including three new health care training programs at the University of Saskatchewan; further health training seat expansion; design and planning work for Saskatchewan Polytechnic’s new Saskatoon campus; and other maintenance and upgrade.

Exports
The party states that:
– an essential part of growing the provincial economy is expanding its markets and exports outside of Canada. This ultimately leads to more jobs at home and allows the province to invest in classrooms, care and communities. It is also part of Saskatchewan’s reality as an export-based province.
– its 2024-2025 budget allocates $40.6 million for the Ministry of Trade and Export Development
– a major portion of that allocation will enable the Ministry to grow and maintain private capital investment in the province.
– equally important will be the recently announced labour market strategy – Building the Workforce for a Growing Economy – which outlines how the people of Saskatchewan will benefit from the jobs the provincial economy is creating. The strategy also ensures that Saskatchewan employers have cess to the workforce needed to succeed.

Attracting Private Investment
The party states that:
– in February 2024, Statistics Canada announced that total capital investments in Saskatchewan increased by 25.9 per cent in 2023 to $17.1 billion – second among provinces in terms of percentage change. This is expected to increase by another 14.4 per cent in 2024 to $19.6 billion – again second among provinces in terms of growth.
– it proposes to allocate more than $255 million in targeted funding for First Nation and Métis people and organizations, an increase of $6.1 million over the previous year.
– private companies have committed to more than 60 large-scale investment projects across the province in recent years – totaling more than $39 billion. These include projects in the agri-value, manufacturing and processing, mining, forestry and energy sectors.

Forestry
The party states that:
– its 2024-25 Budget provides funding to accelerate work on the Forest Resource Inventory Project, helping to achieve the Growth Plan goal of doubling Saskatchewan’s forestry industry.

Energy & Resources
The party states that:
– the Ministry of Energy and Resources and its $53.8-million budget will support the province’s growing economy with a focus on Saskatchewan’s world-class natural resources.
– including in the ministry’s 2024-2025 budget is $10 million in funding over 10 years for the Public Geoscience Initiative, which will increase exploration to drive the province’s Critical Minerals Strategy.
– the budget also provides funding for enhancements to help ensure the permitting process for the exploration of natural resources is efficient and effective. For example, in recognition of the important role of critical minerals, the 2024-25 Budget introduces the Saskatchewan Critical Mineral Innovation Incentive for new pilot projects and the complementary Critical Mineral Processing Investment Incentive for new or expanded value-added processing projects.

Innovations & Clean Energy

To further encourage investment in the provincial economy, the party’s 2024-25 Budget includes enhancements to the following industry incentive programs:
– Saskatchewan Petroleum Innovation Incentive: extends the application period an additional five years and increases the program funding cap to a maximum of $100 million in royalty credits.
– Oil and Gas Processing Investment Incentive: extends the program an additional five years and increases the program funding cap to a maximum of $500 million in Crown royalty credits.

In its 2024-25 budget, the party states that:
– it has extended the Saskatchewan Commercial Innovation Incentive program by one year to allow for a program review, which will include engaging with industry.
– for the Saskatchewan Technology Start-Up Incentive, it has doubled the annual program cap on the amount of non-refundable tax credits that may be issued to $7 million annually; expands eligibility to start-ups in the cleantech and all agtech sectors; and extends the program by one year.
– a new Multi-lateral Well Program for facilitating development of previously inaccessible or uneconomic oil plays and attract increased oil well drilling to Saskatchewan
– the budget further provides a $140-million Clean Electricity Transition Grant (CETG) to SaskPower for use towards in-year clean electricity operating costs, to help maintain affordable power rates for customers.
– it established the Small Modular Reactor Investment Fund to support the future development of the province’s first small modular nuclear reactor, which will provide zero-emission baseload power. The fund will receive annual allocations tied to electricity sector revenues, with all investment income earned retained in the fund. By the close of the 2024-25 fiscal year, it is projected the fund will be a $568.4-million asset for the province.

Agriculture
The party states that:
– its 2024-25 Budget invests $570.6 million in agriculture, an increase of $22.4 million, or 4.1 per cent, from the previous year. This funding will allow the Ministry of Agriculture to fund agricultural research and enhancements to crop insurance, while investing in programming for producers and agri-businesses.
– in recognition of the challenging weather and soil conditions faced by some producers, the ministry’s budget provides $431.7 million to fund federal-provincial risk management programs, including Crop Insurance and Agri Stability. This is an increase of $23.7 million from the previous year.
– the budget changes the Saskatchewan Crop Insurance Corporation’s weather-based programs, which will now provide options to insure intercrops and additional mixed feed crops.
– the 2024-25 Budget provides $89.4 million for strategic initiatives under the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership, including Irrigation Development and Irrigation
Efficiency programs that will help develop new irrigated acres and support improved energy and water efficiency of existing systems. More than 55,000 new irrigated acres have been developed in Saskatchewan over the last four years, positioning the province well in meeting the Growth Plan goal of 85,000 acres.
– an additional investment of $38 million will help support research in the agriculture sector, including Saskatchewan institutions that conduct state-of-the-art research.
– to assist producers dealing with the effects of consecutive years of drought conditions, the 2024-25 Budget freezes Crown land grazing rates at 2022 levels. Producers who must reduce their stocking rates on Crown land due to the dry conditions will also be eligible for a lease discount.

An Economy at the Service of All People

Among its constitutional founding principles, the party states that:
– it recognizes the indispensible right to private property for all residents and opposes incursion of such rights by federal or international interests.
– it recognizes the importance of economic growth and job creation and the significance of vital industries to Saskatchewan’s economy and is committed to supporting the success of such industries in pursuit of putting Saskatchewan first.
– it recognizes the role of the employer-employee relationship without intrusive government involvement, while protecting the rights of the worker without overreach into the operations of the employer.
– it is committed to balanced budgets, while responsibly addressing inherited deficits by systemically reducing unnecessary programs and bureaucracy.
– it is committed to favour tax reductions, while reducing the size of government.
– it recognizes the value and benefit of technological advancements, while at the same time sets out to responsibly examine ethical and health implications in a manner which ensures the safety and wellbeing of provincial residents.

The party further states that:
– Saskatchewan is blessed with abundant natural resources that are the bedrock of its economy and the key to its future prosperity. From God-given carbon based fuels like natural gas, oil, and coal, to the globally demanded potash, Saskatchewan has the tools to build a thriving, self-sufficient, and market-driven province.
– it is time to harness these resources to create a stable, low-cost energy grid that not only meets provincial needs but also attracts industry and manufacturing to Saskatchewan.

To that end:
– the party advocates full utilization of these blessings to power the province, making Saskatchewan synonymous with low-cost energy and high productivity. By focusing the province’s strengths and ensuring that its resources are used wisely and effectively, it is possible to build a province that is both productive and prosperous – where every citizen has the opportunity to thrive.
– specifically the party advocates:

With respect to gas, oil, and coal,
– prioritizing the development and extraction of natural gas, oil and coal to ensure a stable, reliable energy supply.
– leveraging the province’s fuel resources to provide low-cost energy to attract industry and manufacturing, making Saskatchewan a hub of economic activity and job creation. The party undertakes to move Saskatchewan away from the government’s current net-zero plan to shut down natural gas and coal energy plants and instead reinvest in them.

With respect to an energy grid,
– building a robust and stable grid, including investment in infrastructure necessary to ensure that businesses and households have reliable access to power.
– focusing on energy security by reducing reliance on high-cost, less effective renewables like solar and wind power, which cannot provide the consistency and reliability demanded by the economy. Putting the province’s trust in tried and true Saskatchewan coal and natural gas.

With respect to potash and other resources,
– unleashing Saskatchewan’s resource sector, especially potash , which is a cornerstone of the provincial economy.
– capitalizing on the high global prices and ensuring that the benefits of our resources stay within Saskatchewan.
– recognizing rarity and global demand for Saskatchewan potash, ensuring that it is priced accordingly, reflecting its true value, and ensuring that Saskatchewan reaps the economic benefits.
– ensuring that the wealth generated from potash and other resources benefits the province first and foremost, rather than being siphoned off to global markets.
– ensuring that companies investing in production need to pay their fair share. No special breaks should be given; instead, we must ensure that they contribute to the local economy and community.

Labour Unions, Employment

Among its constitutional founding principles, the party states that:
– it recognizes the role of the employer-employee relationship without intrusive government involvement, while protecting the rights of the worker without overreach into the operations of the employer.

Corporations, Competition & Consumers

Among its constitutional founding principles, the party states that:
– it recognizes the importance of economic growth and job creation and the significance of vital industries to Saskatchewan’s economy and is committed to supporting the success of such industries in pursuit of putting Saskatchewan first.