Critics say 2026 provincial budget does little to address affordability

Saskatchewan Finance Minister Jim Reiter tables the 2026-2027 provincial Saskatchewan budget in Regina, on Wednesday, March 18, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Heywood Yu

As Saskatchewan struggles with soaring costs of living, critics of the 2026 provincial budget say it did little to address residents’ affordability concerns.

“The finance minister has even acknowledged the number one issue that he’s hearing from people, is they’re struggling with paying their bills, offer some relief,” said NDP Leader Carla Beck.

Minister of Finance Jim Reiter released this year’s budget Wednesday, which includes no tax increases for Saskatchewan residents.

“In the 2024 election, our government ran on a four-year plan to make life more affordable,” he told reporters. “Our government is keeping every one of the affordability commitments we made.”

Still, residents say they are struggling.

“You have to kind of live within your means,” one woman told CTV News. “I can’t get groceries because my bills are too high and are still rising.”

Increasing prices are most notable at the gas station and grocery store.

The price at the pump reached $1.629 per litre at some stores in Regina Wednesday, up from $1.382 on March 4.

Beck believes tangible measures, like suspending the provincial fuel tax, were low hanging fruit left untouched in the budget.

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“It would offer some relief and a signal to people maybe, just maybe this government understood they’re not just whining when they say how much they’re struggling with the cost of living,” she added. “We see instead a government that has piled on fees and taxes [after they] promised they wouldn’t increase power rates.”

Despite the lack of tax increases, several fees are.

That includes SaskPower and SGI rates, along with minimum deductibles and auto licensing fees.

Even the price to buy a fishing license is going up.

The Canadian Taxpayers’ Federation believes the province is spending too much in this budget, with not enough support for affordability.

“We’ve seen a government that talks a lot about making life more affordable for Saskatchewan,” prairie director Gage Haubrich said. “They’ve done that in the past, but they failed to adequately do that in this budget while increasing the debt and increasing costs.”

The Saskatchewan Income Support program is getting a two per cent jump over last year, an increase the Regina Anti-Poverty Ministry says is not enough.

“It’s not providing the actual costs for utilities,” advocate Peter Gilmer said. “More and more people are not being able to maintain their basic, water, energy, power and it’s very difficult to gain and maintain housing if you don’t have those basic utilities.”

Reiter said the province is providing relief through other incentives, including a series of tax breaks and credits.

“These tax cuts, combined with indexation, are providing about $200 million in tax savings this year, meaning a family of four pays no provincial income tax on the first $65,000 of income,” Reiter explained. “That’s the highest tax-free threshold in all of Canada.”

The government adds it remains on schedule to meet its campaign promise of cutting income taxes within four years.