Saskatchewan Party Leader Brad Wall today released the entire Saskatchewan Party election platform, together with an independent economic analysis confirming the platform will be achieved within a balanced budget each year.

Wall said a stronger balanced budget law, known at The Saskatchewan Growth and Financial Security Act, is the foundation of the Saskatchewan Party platform.

“A Saskatchewan Party government will also introduce The Saskatchewan Growth and Financial Security Act to ensure that budgets are balanced every year and that any future surpluses are split between debt reduction and economic growth initiatives,” Wall said. 

“This new law will also ensure that the size of the civil service does not grow faster than the growth in Saskatchewan’s population.  For many years, the Calvert NDP was growing the size of government while the population was shrinking.  That doesn’t make sense.”

Wall also announced a Saskatchewan Party government will pay down $250 million of debt in its first year, saving taxpayers almost $50 million in interest payments over the next four years.

Many of the major planks in the Saskatchewan Party platform have already been announced and the entire platform is now available on the Saskatchewan Party website www.saskparty.com.  The Saskatchewan Party will be sending a platform brochure to every Saskatchewan household in the coming days.

The fiscal sustainability of the Saskatchewan Party platform was examined by economist Ernie Stokes, Managing Director of The Centre for Spatial Economics.  Stokes concluded “the Saskatchewan Party platform is sustainable with a balanced budget for the fiscal years under consideration.” 

The Centre for Spatial Economics provides economic forecasts for many provincial governments across Canada and its economic forecast was cited by the Saskatchewan government in its 2007 provincial budget.

The economic forecast was based on cautious resource price estimates, such as oil at below $65 per barrel.  Oil closed yesterday at almost $90 per barrel.

Wall said the Saskatchewan Party is firmly committed to debt reduction and balanced budgets.

“Debt reduction and balanced budgets are an important step in securing the future for all Saskatchewan people,” Wall said.

Click here for a copy of the Saskatchewan Party's election platform.

For background information on this announcement, click here.

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For more information, Saskatchewan Party, Regina, 359-1638 or 1-800-966-9611.