Sask. NDP launch election campaign with no tax hike promise

Saskatchewan NDP leader Carla Beck launched her election campaign Monday in Saskatoon by promising not to hike any tax if her party is elected this fall.

"I guarantee that we will not increase provincial income taxes, small business taxes, provincial sales tax or corporate tax. No tax hikes. Period," Beck said.

Beck made the announcement at a locally-owned outdoor adventure store in Saskatoon where she further pledged to lower costs by suspending the 15 cents per liter gas tax for six months, following a similar decision made in Alberta and in Manitoba and other parts of Canada earlier this year.

Beck said the move will ensure that families, job creators and investors will have affordability certainty in the coming years.

"Government should respond to the needs of the people that they hope to serve. This is why we have put forth this this very practical measure, something that the government could have done at any point in the last two years has chosen not to," Beck said.

Nancy, the owner of Life Outside Gear Exchange, said rising costs have become a challenge to not only remain competitive at work, but at home as well with affordability becoming an increasing concern.

"The rising cost of living is affecting us all," she said. "As a business owner with a commitment to pay staff increased wages, the overhead of commercial lease spaces and rising utility and software costs affects local businesses."

The Saskatchewan party has previously planned for the small business tax rate to increase from one per cent to two per cent on July 1, 2025. Nancy said freezing the tax hike would bring another level of financial confidence.

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"An important step to bring stability and certainty to help local businesses weather the storm of rising costs while not passing it on to our customers," she said.

Shortly after Beck announced her intentions, the Canadian Taxpayers Federation applauded the decision.

"The last thing that Saskatchewan taxpayers need is to pay more taxes,” Gage Haubrich, the prairie director for taxpayers federation said.

“Beck is right to recognize that Saskatchewanians are overtaxed and can’t afford any tax hikes.”

Beck hinted more announcements on how the NDP will cut costs for families in the coming weeks, and said she would look at a "long list of places" where the province wastes money as a way of making up the roughly $500 million the province makes from the gas tax annually.

"The inefficiencies that we're seeing currently undertaken by this government -- that's one of the first places that we will redirect those funds," Beck said.