Rare agreement: Sask. Party, Sask. NDP would maintain 1% small business tax rate if elected

Saskatchewan's two main political parties have found at least one area of agreement: Both will maintain the current one per cent small business tax rate if elected to form the government after the Oct. 28 election.

Saskatchewan Party Leader Scott Moe announcedthe policy at a news conference in Kenaston, Sask., on Friday, while Saskatchewan NDPLeader Carla Beck called the policy "the right move" during a speech in Saskatoon laying out her party's complete platform.

The position is being welcomed by the Canadian Federation of Independent Businessses as well as local and provincial chambers of commerce.

"I am announcing that the small business tax rate that our government reduced as we emerged from the pandemic will remain at the reduced rate of one per cent," Moe said.

A news release touting the policy does not mention that it'sadeparture from the provincial budget, in which the Moe-led provincial governmentheld firm to the planned increase to two per cent effective July 1, 2025.

The shift comesafter the Saskatchewan NDPannounced the party would freeze the small business tax rateat one per centif they form the next government.

• Watch more Sask. election coverage, including full news conferences, onCBC Saskatchewan's YouTube page.

On Friday, Moe got defensive when asked why he was making the decision to freeze the tax rate now, rather than earlier.

"You know, we're being criticized for putting forward good solid foundational policy in this campaign, and if that's the criticism that the Saskatchewan Party is receiving, so be it," Moe said.

He said that planning to have the small businesstax rate increase in July helped local businesses, pointing to recently released federal numbers that showthe province added 17,200 new jobs since this time last year.

Moe said it also allowed the party to put together a plan for the next four years, alluding to the party's yet-to-be-released platform.

NDP release full platform

Beck spent released theSaskatchewan NDP's full platform on Friday.

It contains already announced commitments, including suspending the gas tax for six months and removing the provincial sales tax from children's clothing and some grocery items.

It also promises $1 billion over four years to fix health care, and $2 billion to build more schools and reduce classroomsizes.

Beck's platform includes plans to boost the province's economy, including a provincial sales tax rebate for retrofits to downtown businesses.

She also says she would aim to hire Saskatchewan companies to handle public infrastructure projects over those outside the province.

"This is a plan that's been built with the people of this province," Beck said."This is the plan to address the things that are most important to Saskatchewan people."

The NDP platform has commitments for rural communities and the environment.

Beck said she would expand rural cellphone and broadband internet services, create a grant program for rinks and halls, and "crack down" on illegal foreign farmland ownership.

There's also a plan to develop a wetlands conservation policy and a wildfire strategy.

Beck says she would look to expand green energy projects, and offer a retrofit program for people to install energy-efficient lights and appliances.

She has also pledged to create an "accountability commission" to investigate what she calls government waste and corruption under the Saskatchewan Party.

The commission would investigate cost overruns for projects initiated and completed by the former Saskatchewan Party government, including a faulty payment system for health-care workers, hotel spending for social services clients and shady dealings involving a Regina highway project.

Moe had a simple response when asked about the NDP platform.

"[It's] not necessarily a dishonest platform, but being dishonest with the people of the province by not telling them how they're going to pay for that irresponsible and costed platform. And I would suggest it's because they don't intend on it," he said. "They're gonna ask Saskatchewan people to pay for it."

Beck has made a commitment that she will not raise taxes, and the platform suggests an NDP government would run small deficits during the first three years and then have a small surplus at the end of its term.

She encouraged people to ignore the noise and take a look for themselves.

"It's there in the platform for people to look at and again we expect people to scrutinize it," Beck said.

The Saskatchewan Party has yet to release its full platform.