REGINA, SK: The Canadian Taxpayers Federation is calling on the Saskatchewan government to find savings and stop borrowing money as debt interest payments will cost taxpayers more than one billion dollars this year, according to Budget 2026.

“Premier Scott Moe more than doubled the provincial debt and this budget borrows billions of dollars more,” said Gage Haubrich, CTF Prairie Director. “This budget is not a fluke or the result of uncontrollable world events. Saskatchewan has been racking up debt and sticking taxpayers with the debt interest charges for years.

“It’s time for the Saskatchewan government to stop borrowing and control spending.”

Interest payments on the debt will cost taxpayers about one billion dollars this year, working out to about $821 per Saskatchewanian. Debt interest payments will cost taxpayers more than $2.8 million per day.

The government is increasing the debt by $3.4 billion compared to last year’s budget. By the end of the year, the taxpayer-supported debt will be $26.8 billion.

The Saskatchewan government more than doubled the debt since 2017.

The government is also spending $1.2 billion more and taking in $361 million more in revenue this year, compared to last year’s budget. The budget increases spending in all departments but one.

The Saskatchewan government is spending about $17,565 per person this year. That’s higher than the per person spending of both the Alberta and British Columbia governments.

“This budget is infuriating for taxpayers because the government couldn’t be bothered to find savings anywhere and it’s spending more per person than the big spending B.C. NDP,” Haubrich said. “The government needs to get spending under control. Saskatchewan taxpayers can’t afford to keep paying the bills for the government’s irresponsible borrowing.”

The Saskatchewan Party says that one of its guiding principles is the “steady, gradual reduction in government spending and taxation while maintaining a firm commitment to balanced budgets.”