Party leaders Scott Moe, Carla Beck stick to core platform issues in provincial election debate
Saskatchewan voters head to the polls on Oct. 28
During Wednesday evening's debate at the Saskatchewan Legislature in Regina, NDP Leader Carla Beck and Saskatchewan Party Leader Scott Moe attacked one another's budget records and plans, as well as their party's contributions to the provincial debt.
Both candidates in the upcoming provincial election have regularly called each other's party fiscally irresponsible.
"The last two budgets by the provincial auditor were balanced in this province and we have put forward a fully costed plan like we do each and every election to balance the budget — in this case by 2027," Moe said during the debate.
The Sask. Party's platform for the Oct. 28 election includes $1.2 billion in promises over four years.
Moe called the NDP's fiscal record one "of decline, loss, enclosure that is going to bring us back to increased taxes."
"The NDP don't have a plan for it, to pay for it, because they don't intend to. You will."
Beck refuted these claims, calling them untrue.
The NDP's fiscal plan proposes an additional $3.5 billion in spending over four years, mostly on education and health care. Beck has said she would pay for her promises by growing the economy and cutting what she calls Saskatchewan Party waste.
Beck's plan projects small deficits in the first three years, followed by a small surplus in the fourth year.
"Ninety-five per cent of the debt in this province has occurred under conservative governments," said Beck.
"The Saskatchewan NDP has a record of balancing budgets in this province: 18 consecutive balanced budgets as opposed to what we've seen until recently from this government, which is a string of eight deficit budgets."
- Watch more Sask. election coverage, including full news conferences, on CBC Saskatchewan's YouTube page.
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Candidates spar over health-care issues
During the debate, Beck said Saskatchewan has the largest surgery waitlist in the country — and many people die while waiting for care.
"The reality is [Moe] didn't even have the respect to talk to nurses who are raising concerns about safe staffing levels — about the level of care and the danger of our overcrowded emergency rooms in this province," Beck said.
Moe fired back, saying the province has hired 1,800 nurses in the last 18 months. He said the numerous health challenges require investment, but emphasized that the crisis is not unique to Saskatchewan. He said his party has a plan to expand the number of surgeries the province's system can handle.
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Beck responded with some examples of shortcomings in the health-care system. She also noted 4,000 health-care workers left the province in 2023 alone.
"There's no magic wand. This is going to be hard work. But we've got a plan to get us out of last place," said the NDP leader.
WATCH | Sask. party leaders point fingers and make promises on health care:
Moe defends party's education record
Education has been under the microscope in 2024, largely due to a provincewide teachers' strike — and Beck went after Moe over issues central to that strike, like classroom complexity, under-funding and the influx of new students.
Moe said his party has plans to address education issues in the province if elected on Oct. 28.
"We are going to build new classrooms for those additional students and we are going to continue to increase funding in our education sector to ensure that we have the teachers and the EAs and the supports for those students and for their families wherever they are attending their K-12 education," said Moe.
He said the Sask. Party's education plan flies in the face of the NDP's record of closing schools while in government 17 years ago.
Beck fired back.
"Kids in Grade 12 today have only known cuts and under-funding because of your under-funding of the education system. It's ridiculous. You cannot drive where we need to go if you keep looking in the rearview mirror, Mr. Moe," she said.
WATCH | Scott Moe digs into NDP's record on education; Carla Beck tells him to stop living in the past:
Beck said the Saskatchewan NDP's education plan is fully costed.
"It's 200 million [dollars] the first year, then add 200 million the next year and so on and so on. It's $2 billion [and] it's fully accounted for," said Beck.
"It's no wonder you can't balance a budget and it's no wonder that kids in our province are not getting the education that they need. We know how important this is."
Moe and Beck face off over affordability
Affordability has been a hot topic in Saskatchewan over the last year in particular.
In the debate, Moe tried to drive home that the province has the second lowest unemployment rate in Canada.
He said 17,000 jobs have been created in the last year.
Moe pointed to the province's investments in the mining industry and what he calls "economic reconciliation" efforts that his government has made through partnerships with First Nations.
But Beck accused Moe of doing nothing to make living more affordable in Saskatchewan, and said he has raised taxes over 30 times in the past year.
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Meanwhile, Moe accused the Sask. NDP of being responsible for "dark times" and poor government decisions back when they were in office.
Beck wasn't having it.
"People are getting very tired of you talking about 17 years ago," she said.
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With files from The Canadian Press