REGINA (Staff) – Saskatchewan Liberals have joined their Tory colleagues on the election trail.
They are promising to cut government spending and reduce taxes.
Even though a provincial election had not been called by press time, many people expected an announcement within days. The launch of the Progressive Conservative party campaign was followed a few days later by a Liberal statement of how to make government smaller and cheaper.
Liberal leader Lynda Haverstock said her detailed announcement was not the start of a campaign, but a “synopsis” of one part of the future Liberal campaign.
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Haverstock said Saskat-chewan is overtaxed and has excess government. She would cut spending by forcing the provincial government to set out detailed, four-year financial plans to which it would have to adhere. Legislative approval would be needed for tax increases not in the plan.
The government would have to set a timetable to pay down the provincial debt and cabinet ministers would suffer financial penalties if the targets were not met.
Money from unexpectedly high resource revenues, such as those that helped balance this year’s operating budget, would be used to pay the debt, said Haverstock.
All government programs would go before the legislature every few years to justify their existence.
Although Saskatchewan balanced its budget this year, Haverstock said the New Democratic government will not be able to sustain it.
She promised to do away with various government departments and cut cabinet to 10 or fewer members.
