SASKATOON — Ministers from the Government of Saskatchewan declared Tuesday that the province remains one of the most affordable jurisdictions in the country, touting the current inflation increase based on the Consumer Price Index.
At an event in Saskatoon, Ministers Donna Harpauer (Finance), Jeremy Harrison (Trade and Export Development), and Dustin Duncan (Crown Investments Corp.) alternately highlighted the provincial government’s measures they believe have made Saskatchewan among the most affordable jurisdictions in the country.
Harpauer said Saskatchewan continues to grow rapidly, and keeping life affordable to all residents remains a pivotal role of the current provincial government in supporting the growing population in building a strong economy and vibrant communities.
“More than $2 billion in targeted affordability measures are built in every budget. These measures include maintaining low personal and corporate taxes, keeping inflation down and introducing incentives and programs to support affordability,” said Harpauer.
“Today, Saskatchewan has among the lowest personal income taxes in the country. Since 2007, 112,000 people have been removed from the provincial income tax roll. Resulting in more than $830 million in annual income tax savings for those individuals.”
She added that the cost of living in the province remains competitive with other Canadian jurisdictions. For example, she said, a family of four in Saskatchewan with $100,000 in total income tax paid $2,700 less in combined personal and sales tax in 2024 compared to 2007.
Harpauer said she knows people feel some economic stress. Still, the provincial government is always trying to balance affordability with different measures and programs for the people of Saskatchewan, increasing assistance programs to help people, especially the most vulnerable.
“As I mentioned, we have the lowest income tax, one measure. We also have the active families benefit to help with the costs of children’s activities. We have the children's and seniors’ drug plans and the graduate retention program to help students,” said Harpauer.
“We try to balance our approach to offering affordability measures for students, seniors, families, and individuals. Can the government do everything? No, but we try to balance it as much as we can. Saskatchewan has the lowest inflation rate, which is encouraging.”
Harrison, also the Immigration and Career Training Minister, said the government is ensuring that Saskatchewan maintains its image as one of the best places in the nation to live, work and raise a family.
“An important part of this is working alongside our industry partners to ensure new homes continue to be built at a pace that supports the needs of our rapidly growing population. Our government has worked hard to create the conditions for economic growth,” said Harrison.
“It is showing results as Saskatchewan has seen the lowest unemployment rate in the country, the lowest cost of living, and our utility costs are among the lowest in Canada. Statistics Canada released inflation data showing Saskatchewan has the country’s lowest rate again.”
He said Saskatchewan’s inflation rate of 1.1 per cent, better than the two per cent national average, can be attributed to the government’s decision to remove carbon tax from home heating.
“We know that this unnecessary federal carbon tax does not work and makes life less affordable for the people of our province, which is why we removed it. We will continue to push back against detrimental policies and protect and promote the interests of Saskatchewan people,” he added.
Duncan said all major Crown corporations have also contributed to supporting the growth of the province’s economy and ensuring communities continue to have affordable living and remain strong and vibrant.
“[Crown corporations] deliver affordable services that residents, businesses and communities need to grow and thrive. Our solid financial returns help prioritize education, healthcare, highways and communities while balancing the demand for increasing infra to support our growing province,” said Duncan.
