The two local-area cabinet ministers from the Battlefords and surrounding area were thrown into the legislative fire this past week.
The new minister of Government Relations Larry Doke (Cut Knife-Turtleford) and new Advanced Education minister Herb Cox (The Battlefords) both had to face the music from the NDP opposition all week during Question Period.
The one who faced the most questions during the week was Doke. Last Monday, Doke had to respond to questions from Prince Albert-Northcote MLA Nicole Rancourt about the impact of tax increases and service cuts. That exchange is below, as recorded in Hansard.
Ms. Rancourt: — Mr. Speaker, the Saskatchewan Party is attacking our Crowns and they’re attacking Saskatchewan people too. Some people saw their property taxes increase by 250 per cent. From Estevan to La Ronge, people are paying more and getting less. Commercial businesses are worried about keeping their staff on the payroll and even their doors open, and families are finding it harder to make ends meet.
Before the minister starts hiding behind SAMA [Saskatchewan Assessment Management Agency], let’s be clear. The Sask Party knew the assessment issues before the budget. They could have done something to help. Instead they did nothing.
So will the minister stop pointing fingers, take responsibility for the Sask Party tax hikes, and take steps to help the communities that were the hardest hit?
The Speaker: — I recognize the Minister of Government Relations.
Hon. Mr. Doke: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And the member opposite knows that every four years there’s reassessment. And of course under this last 10 years of growth, assessment has gone up. I think that’s something to be proud of in many instances. It wasn’t that long ago, it wasn’t that long ago when you went to sell your house, you were worried about how much you were going to lose, not what you’re going to make.
So, Mr. Speaker, EPT [education property tax] was established. And this year EPT will be collected by the government and reported straight to the GRF [General Revenue Fund]. And, Mr. Speaker, this will be to respond to the request from the school divisions, and we’re supporting it strongly. Thank you.
The Speaker: — I recognize the member from Prince Albert Northcote.
Ms. Rancourt: — Mr. Speaker, no matter how they spin it, the fact is the Sask Party raised taxes, including educational property taxes. It’s an assessment year, and they knew exactly what the new assessments were when they went down and wrote down the budget. And they made sure they could get another $67 million.
But instead of putting that back into education, they took $67 million for the General Revenue Fund to pay for their mismanagement, scandal, and waste. On top of that, they cut millions from funding for municipalities across the province. How can the minister justify the cuts to education and municipalities while still hiking the taxes?
The Speaker: — I recognize the Minister of Government Relations.
Hon. Mr. Doke: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I don’t think I would agree with the member when she says that municipalities were cut on revenue sharing. I guess she wouldn’t remember the days from the ’97 to 2007 where the NDP gave nothing. You never knew until halfway through your budget if you were going to get anything at all.
Mr. Speaker, EPT, like I said earlier, is going to be collected now by the municipalities and transferred straight to the government and go into the GRF, and that will support anything that the school divisions need. Mr. Speaker, I think I would also say that . . . I think I have to say this, is that since we took over the change in the EPT, there has been a billion dollars in savings to property owners. So, Mr. Speaker, I’ll leave it at that.
Their exchange resumed again on Thursday in Question Period on the same issue.
Ms. Rancourt: — Mr. Speaker, their mismanagement, scandal, and waste has consequences. They’ve led to the Sask Party’s deep cuts and unfair tax hikes. Saskatchewan people in our municipalities are struggling too. In my own community of Prince Albert, the city was able to balance the budget. But in the face of the province chopping their funding, the mayor and council were forced to make difficult decisions — increasing property taxes and making cuts to services.
Mr. Speaker, these tax increases and service cuts are Sask Party tax increases and service cuts. Mr. Speaker, there is only one taxpayer. So why is the government forcing the people of Prince Albert to pay the price for the Sask Party’s mismanagement, scandal, and waste?
The Speaker: —I recognize the Minister of Government Relations.
Hon. Mr. Doke: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thank you for the question. I think the member opposite probably forgets about revenue sharing that’s gone towards the cities and the municipalities and whatever, as compared to when the NDP were in power. So in 2017, there was over $257 million in revenue sharing to the municipalities. Mr. Speaker, this is a far, far cry from what it was under the NDP, when they never knew what they were going to get for revenue sharing. This government stands committed to our municipalities, and we will move on.
Herb Cox, meanwhile, had only been on the job as Minister of Advanced Education for one day when he had to respond to NDP critic Carla Beck on the issue of cuts to the Northern Teacher Education Program. That exchange took place on Tuesday during Question Period.
Ms. Beck: — … Last year, all the Sask Party gave the North were cuts, including NORTEP-NORPAC [northern teacher education program-Northern Professional Access College], a program that had been successfully run for and by the community for decades.
Mr. Speaker, the need for teachers in the North is growing. It’s estimated that another 145 teachers will be needed in the next five years. This year there are only five students entering the first year of the teacher education program. Last year under NORTEP that number was 35, Mr. Speaker. Not only did they have no plan to get students in the North the support that they need, they scrapped a program that was actually working. When will this government start to prioritize these kids and a strong future for the North?
The Speaker: — I recognize the Minister of Advanced Education.
Hon. Mr. Cox: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And teacher education in the North is indeed very important to this government, and that’s why the consolidation of that education program in the North is about expanding programs and enhancing access for northern students while it also ensures that the program remains of a high quality and it is sustainable.
Northlands College has had 40 years experience in educating northerners and has seen significant increases in their university education enrolment program offerings. Since 2007, Mr. Speaker, enrolment at university education has increased by 226 per cent. I think that speaks well for what they’re doing.
Communities of Air Ronge and La Ronge, with just over 3,700 people . . . We felt the best use of taxpayers’ dollars, Mr. Speaker, was to reduce the duplication, and that’s what we’ve done.
