REGINA — Saskatchewan’s 2026-27 budget leans hard on familiar promises of affordability, safety, and growth, but the most concerning number in the budget is the $819.4 million deficit.The province says total revenue will be $21.4 billion, while expenses are expected to reach $22.2 billion. That leaves Saskatchewan well short of balance for another year, even though the government is pitching the budget as a plan to protect jobs, families, and core services.The shortfall is smaller than the $1.21 billion deficit forecast for 2025-26, but it still marks a sharp turn from the slim $12.2 million surplus that had been budgeted for that year. The government’s own medium term outlook shows more deficits ahead, with books not returning to surplus until the 2030-31 fiscal year.“What long-term role is Canada going to play in energy security? We very much are part of that discussion when it comes to uranium. I would say we're very much part of that discussion when it comes to providing additional barrels of oil to the world as well,” said Premier Scott Moe on trying to predict reducing deficits and balancing the budget.“Some of the most sustainable and ethical barrels of oil that you can find, whether that's through a West Coast pipeline or some other method, providing more, even into the US, through South Bow expansion, which was formerly known as KXL.”."Saskatchewan taxpayers can't afford more reckless borrowing from this government. This deficit means more debt and more money wasted on interest payments. Despite whatever excuse the government might offer, this isn't new. Premier Scott Moe has more than doubled the province's debt while in office, and this budget is more of the same,” Prairie Director of Canadian Taxpayers Federation Gage Haubrich told the Western Standard.“The time for excuses is over. Saskatchewanians deserve a government that controls spending and pays down debt."Healthcare remains the single biggest area of spending at $8.42 billion. Education is next at $4.65 billion. The budget also sets out a $4.3 billion capital plan, which the government says is one of the largest in Saskatchewan history, with money aimed at transportation, healthcare, schools, and other infrastructure.Among the headline items are $636 million for hospitals, long-term care, and healthcare infrastructure, $310 million for RCMP operations and First Nations policing, and nearly $400 million in municipal revenue sharing. The budget also promises $200 million in savings through personal income tax reductions and indexation, along with a doubling of the Active Families Benefit Tax Credit..The government is also banking on moderate economic growth. It forecasts real GDP growth of 1.6% in 2026 and says Saskatchewan will keep the lowest unemployment rate in Canada at 5.1%. But those gains come with pressure. Financing charges alone are set to hit $1.22 billion, showing how costly it has become to carry debt while spending keeps climbing.The province points to a projected net debt-to-GDP ratio of 16.1%, among the lowest in Canada, and highlights its strong credit ratings. Even so, the budget’s central fact remains hard to ignore. Saskatchewan is planning to spend far more than it brings in.“This bad news budget will cost Saskatchewan people more. Everything your family needs is more expensive, and there’s no new cost-of-living relief in this budget,” said Sask NDP Leader Carla Beck.“There isn’t a dime of gas tax relief. There are new taxes and fees on hunting, fishing, and driving — even after Scott Moe promised not to raise taxes. Scott Moe has mismanaged our province’s finances for years, and now the people of Saskatchewan will pay the price.”
