Daily Herald Contributor
During a campaign stop in Prince Albert on Thursday, Premier Scott Moe said a newly elected Saskatchewan Party government will double the Active Families Benefit from $150 to $300 per year per child.
This Active Families Benefit reimburses parents for the cost of their children taking part in sports, arts, cultural and recreational activities.
“We all know how beneficial it is to get our kids involved in sports or artistic activities like music and dance lessons,” Moe.
“We also know the cost of those activities has gone up just like the cost of most other things, so the Saskatchewan Party wants to make if more affordable for parents to put their kids in those kinds of activities.”
The announcement follows a number of other Saskatchewan Party platform commitments that Moe said will make life more affordable for Saskatchewan people. The list of policies includes reducing provincial income tax, which Meo said will save a family of four $3,400 and a senior couple $3,100 over four years.
The Sask. Party has also promised to increasing the Graduate Retention Program benefit by 20 per cent while also increasing the Low Income Tax Credit by 20 per cent over four years.
“The program has been very successful, providing tuition rebates of up to $20,000 to post-secondary students who decided to stay and work in Saskatchewan after graduation,” Moe said.
“Today, young people are facing cost of living pressures just like everyone else, so we will increase the benefit by 20 per cent to reflect those pressures and make life more affordable for young people working in Saskatchewan.”
The maximum benefit for a four-year university graduate will increase from $20,000 to $24,000. Graduates of one to three-year programs will also receive a 20 per cent increase to their maximum amount.
The Graduate Retention Program provides post-secondary graduates who live and work in Saskatchewan after they graduate with tuition rebates in the form of personal income tax credits that can be claimed over seven to 10 years. About 85,000 Saskatchewan young people have benefited from the program to date.
“Saskatchewan is one of the most affordable places in Canada to live,” Moe said. “Still, Saskatchewan people are facing cost of living pressures just like everyone else in Canada. A Saskatchewan Party government will make life more affordable by reducing your income tax and making sure you keep more of the money you work hard to earn.”
“When fully implemented, 54,000 people will no longer be paying any provincial income tax and Saskatchewan will have the highest level of tax-free income in Canada for seniors and for families with dependent children,” he added.
Moe also took aim at policies touted by NDP leader Carla Beck during her stop in Prince Albert on Wednesday. Moe called the NDP plan “irresponsible”, and argued the Sask. Party’s plan to cut income tax was superior to the NDP’s six-month Gas Tax suspension because it would help more people.
In response, Prince Albert Northcote NDP candidate Nicole Rancourt said the Saskatchewan Party cannot be trusted to keep its promises.
“He made an announcement today about incentives for sports for families, and when I was first elected in 2016, that was a benefit that they cut in that 2016 budget,” Rancourt said during a media scrum following Moe’s announcement. “Then, five years later they reinstated it in 2021, so we know that we can’t trust that they’re going to upkeep those promises. The Saskatchewan NDP under Carla Beck, as soon as we form government on day one, families are going to save money.”
Rancourt added that the NDP plan to suspend the Gas Tax for six months was just one part of its plan to reduce the cost of living.
She also criticized the Sask. Party for charging municipalities PST on construction costs.
“There used to be an agreement that government wouldn’t tax government, so we’ve been talking with municipalities—SUMA and SARM—and that has been something they’ve indicated has been an issue over a while, and it’s costing taxpayers a lot more money,” Rancourt said. “When we form government, we said we’ll work with all the municipalities, and we’ll want to work on a plan so we can make sure taxpayers aren’t having to pay more for these benefits.”
Moe made Thursday’s announcement flanked by local Saskatchewan Party candidates Alana Ross (Prince Albert Northcote), Kevin Kasun (Prince Albert Carlton), and Darlene Rowden (Batoche).
Ross said the Sask. Party announcements would help address cost of living issues for Prince Albert residents. She added that cost of living challenges something residents are dealing with all over the country, but the Saskatchewan Party’s plan was the best one to address the issue.
“We have a strong plan moving forward to be able to support the people of our province, to keep our economy going strong, (and) to be able to provide the services that are required,” Ross said.
