CANADA’S ONLY BALANCED PROVINCIAL BUDGET HIGHLIGHTS SPRING SESSION

The spring session of the Legislative Assembly wrapped up today with Premier Brad Wall saying the highlight was the introduction and passage of Canada's only balanced provincial budget.

"While other provinces and other countries are struggling with huge deficits and growing debt, Saskatchewan is a different story," Wall said. "Our budget is balanced, our finances are sound and we are on the right track."

Wall said a balanced budget is a key part of the "Saskatchewan Advantage" that has our province's economy leading the nation.

"Saskatchewan employers have created more than 13,000 new jobs in the past year," Wall said. "Our population is growing at its fastest pace in 60 years and many forecasters say we will have the strongest economic growth in Canada this year and next."

Wall said the strong economy enabled the government to keep virtually all of its 2011 election promises while still maintaining a balanced budget.

These include:

• Introducing a new "Saskatchewan Advantage Scholarship" that will provide up to $2,000 over four years to new high school graduates to reduce the cost of post-secondary education in Saskatchewan;
• Expanding the Active Families Benefit and the PST exemption on clothing to include all children under 18;
• 500 new child care spaces;
• A new $10,000 tax credit for first-time homebuyers;
• Launching the STARS emergency medical helicopter service;
• Forgiving up to $120,000 in student loans for new doctors and up to $20,000 for new nurses and nurse practitioners who practice in rural and remote communities;
• Increasing benefits under the Saskatchewan Assured Income for Disability (SAID) program by $2,760 per year for couples and $2,400 per year for individuals;
• Increasing the Seniors Income Plan (SIP) benefit by $600 per year; and
• Providing the first year of the government's four-year commitment of $2.2 billion to repair and maintain Saskatchewan highways.

"Last election, we campaigned on a platform of sustainable spending, balanced budgets and a number of targeted promises to help keep life affordable for Saskatchewan people," Wall said. "In this session, we did what we said we would do.

"We kept our promises, we kept the budget balanced, we kept the Saskatchewan Advantage and we kept Saskatchewan moving forward."

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For more information, contact:

Kathy Young
Executive Council
Regina
Phone: 306-787-0425
Email: kathy.young@gov.sk.ca
Cell: 306-526-8927