Getting the Balance Right: Saskatchewan Alternative Budget, 2006-07 Canadian Centre of Policy Alternatives Saskatchewan Office 2205 11th Avenue, Suite 105 Regina, SK S4P 0K6 (306) 924-3372 i TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction..................................................................................................................................... 1 Fiscal Framework ........................................................................................................................... 3 Revenue Generation........................................................................................................................ 3 Corporate Capital and Income Tax................................................................................................. 3 Individual Income Tax.................................................................................................................... 4 Natural Resource Tax ..................................................................................................................... 5 Budget Summary Spreadsheets Revenue Projections.................................................................................................................... 7 Expenditure Proposals ................................................................................................................ 8 Expenditure Statement................................................................................................................ 10 Budget Reconciliation................................................................................................................. 10 Education......................................................................................................................................... 10 Early Childhood.............................................................................................................................. 10 Kindergarten to Grade 12................................................................................................................ 11 Post Secondary Education............................................................................................................... 13 Agriculture....................................................................................................................................... 22 The Canadian Wheat Board............................................................................................................ 23 Rail Lines and Transportation......................................................................................................... 24 Intensive Livestock Operations....................................................................................................... 24 Growth of Organic Agriculture....................................................................................................... 25 Food Insecurity ............................................................................................................................... 26 Municipal Government & Transportation................................................................................... 26 Base Tax.......................................................................................................................................... 26 Revenue Sharing Pool..................................................................................................................... 27 Essential Services............................................................................................................................ 27 Infrastructure and Buildings ........................................................................................................... 27 Mobility for people with disabilities............................................................................................... 28 Public Transportation for Urban and Rural Residents.................................................................... 28 Social and Economic Security........................................................................................................ 29 Saskatchewan Assistance Program and the Transitional Employment Allowance Program ......... 29 Contact Centre ................................................................................................................................ 30 Clawback to the National Child Benefit Supplement..................................................................... 31 Basic Income................................................................................................................................... 31 Child Poverty .................................................................................................................................. 32 Adequate and Affordable Housing for All...................................................................................... 32 Community Based Organizations ................................................................................................... 34 Healthcare........................................................................................................................................ 35 Sustainable Public Health Care in Saskatchewan........................................................................... 35 Primary Health Care Transformation.............................................................................................. 36 Promoting Healthy Living and Saskatchewan’s Population Health Strategy................................. 38 Saskatchewan Alternative Budget Proposal ................................................................................... 39 ii Environment.................................................................................................................................... 41 Water Conservation ........................................................................................................................ 42 Energy Conservation....................................................................................................................... 42 Waste Management......................................................................................................................... 42 Ecological Auditing ........................................................................................................................ 43 Environmental Monitoring and Compliance .................................................................................. 43 Culture ............................................................................................................................................. 44 Funding for the Cultural Sector ...................................................................................................... 44 Reports, Policy, Retarded Action.................................................................................................... 44 Programming................................................................................................................................... 45 Research, Funding and New Initiatives .......................................................................................... 46 Justice............................................................................................................................................... 47 Proposals for Changing Policing, Corrections, and the Broader Justice System............................ 47 Aboriginal Peoples .......................................................................................................................... 50 Women’s Issues ............................................................................................................................... 51 Strategies for Addressing Gender Based Wage Discrimination..................................................... 52 Violence Against Women............................................................................................................... 53 Appendix A: Volunteers and Contributors .................................................................................. 54 1 INTRODUCTION The Saskatchewan Office of the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA-SK) is very pleased to present the Alternative Provincial Budget for 2006-07. Our three key areas of focus this year are: • ECONOMIC SECURITY AND SOCIAL SUPPORT for all people in Saskatchewan; • universal, comprehensive, accessible, and publicly administered HEALTH services for all persons and families, and the use of public policy to ensure healthy and sustainable communities; • high quality and innovative EDUCATION programs, from the earliest months of life, during the primary and secondary school years, and through to post-secondary studies and life-long learning opportunities. The preparation of this year’s Alternative Budget was informed by a broad public consultation process that took place through the Citizens’ Budget Commission. This Commission was established by CCPA-SK in late 2005, and was charged with the following mandate: • To provide Saskatchewan citizens, NGO’s and other organizations an opportunity to provide their perspectives on what the fiscal priorities of the provincial government should be. • To provide thoughts on how Saskatchewan’s treasury and public programs could be affected by further reductions in business taxation. • To consider the best mix of taxation and other measures to generate government revenue that is fair and equitable for individuals, families and businesses.