In an Op-Ed published in the Regina Leader-Post today, CUPE Saskatchewan President Kent Peterson makes the case that Scott Moe’s tax hikes hurt working people the most and has broken Saskatchewan’s affordability. It’s time for change in this fall’s election.
Moe’s tax hikes hurt working people in Saskatchewan the most
As the president of the largest public sector union in Saskatchewan, I don’t always advocate for tax cuts. Taxation is how we fund hospitals, schools and all the vital public services that we all use and rely on. Frankly, taxation is how my hard-working members — who deliver these vital public services — get paid.
But for that idyllic scenario to work as it should, taxation has to be fair, and the money raised has to be spent effectively on frontline services. Regular folks should see the benefit of the taxes they pay.
Under Scott Moe, taxes are not fair, and the money isn’t being spent on public services. He has mismanaged our finances and squandered record revenues on pet projects.
Scott Moe’s unprecedented tax hikes are a burden on working people the most. That is simply not fair.
When the Saskatchewan Party government imposed the single greatest tax grab in Saskatchewan history, by hiking the provincial sales tax to six per cent and radically expanding what it applied to, it was my members, their families and workers like them that paid the price.
In the years since, these tax hikes have been compounded by the cost-of-living crisis that has made everything more expensive. From gas to groceries, rent to Riders games, everything has got more expensive.
Bosses and Scott Moe’s rich friends don’t care or even notice that rotisserie chickens and bagged salads cost more as a result of the PST hike. But I’ll tell you, workers who are feeding a busy family sure notice.
And heaven forbid that regular folks enjoy a meal at Boston Pizza once in a while — well, Scott Moe applied PST to that too. Same with insurance premiums and Riders tickets.
Because of the Saskatchewan Party’s tax hikes, your neighbour can’t even buy a used vehicle off you without Scott Moe’s hands in your pockets.
Despite the Saskatchewan Party campaigning on the promise to remove PST from children’s clothing in the previous election, parents now pay Scott Moe’s tax when they buy clothes for their kids.
That was just one of Scott Moe’s tax hikes. He’s raised taxes, fees and utility rates dozens of times. In an unprecedented cost-of-living crisis, workers are paying more and getting less. Scott Moe has broken affordability in Saskatchewan.
And look around. Would any serious person honestly say they think Scott Moe has invested taxpayers’ money well into the public services we all rely on? Are the services we all rely on in better shape than when he took office? In short, no.
Scott Moe’s cuts have led to schools that are overcrowded and understaffed. Every year when kids return to classrooms, there are more students with fewer supports.
The government is more focused on flagpoles and culture wars than teaching kids. Instead of investing in our next generation, he’s eroded the rights of children.
Scott Moe’s underfunding and privatization has led to a broken health-care system. Emergency rooms in every corner of the province are closed, leaving people in crisis having to travel town to town for care.
Hospitals and care homes are understaffed and overcapacity. Privatization has caused all sorts of wait times to soar — several are the worst in Canada. There aren’t enough health-care workers, well, anywhere in Saskatchewan.
And he has no plan to fix our health system so people can access health care where and when they need it.
Hospitals and schools aren’t being invested in. Problems are only getting worse. It’s clear taxpayers’ money isn’t going to where it should be going and that Scott Moe’s choices are hurting Saskatchewan people.
Enough is enough. It’s time to fix this mess.
I applaud Carla Beck’s no tax hikes guarantee. Her plans will put money back into the pockets of Saskatchewan workers. Working people deserve a break. It’s time to roll back Scott Moe’s unfair tax hikes, in a responsible way, and actually invest taxpayer money where it’s needed the most.
Kent Peterson is the president of the Canadian Union of Public Employees Saskatchewan.
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