Today finance minister Rod Gantefoer delivered the Wall government’s budget for 2010-11. The government pegged this year’s total revenue at $9.95 billion, a decrease of $711 million from Budget 2009-10. $121.3 million in spending cuts were handed down across 14 provincial ministries. Total spending is listed at $10.12 billion, a one-point-two per cent decrease in spending from 2009-10 totals.
Of note was the government’s position on future growth of the public service. “Our goal is to reach a 15 per cent reduction in the size of the public service over four years primarily through attrition, meaning many who retire or move to other opportunities will not be replaced.” Gantefoer said.
The Opposition was not impressed with the budget. "Wall has still not adequately explained to the people of Saskatchewan how near-record revenues have resulted in some of the most wide-ranging and damaging cuts we've seen in years," NDP leader Dwain Lingenfelter said. "The mismanagement of our finances goes far beyond just numbers on a page - real lives have been and continue to be affected by the inability of this government to properly manage the province.
