If you like to drink or smoke you will now be paying more for this indulgence in Saskatchewan.
As of April 1, the cost of liquor will rise by about three per cent and the cost of a pack of cigarettes goes up a dollar at midnight.
These were the only two tax hikes in the provincial budget, which is balanced and calls for a three per cent increase in spending over last year.
There were some winners in Wednesday’s budget – including the Aboriginal community – and a number of losers such as health districts and universities.
Finance Minister Ken Krawetz admits it is a tight budget but says money was found for programs that most require government attention.
“So I think there is a great number of initiatives across all the pieces,” he says. “From all of the ministries we are looking at an increase of well over $10 million to meet the needs of First Nations and Métis students.”
The budget provides an $11 million dollar increase in funding in programming for Métis and First Nations.
In all, more than $184 million is committed to this programming – an increase of 6.2 per cent.
There is also more money for skills training such as the Northern Careers Quest Program and the adult basic education program.
The government is also changing the uranium royalty structure with the aim of encouraging new mines and mine expansion, which has the potential to create thousands of jobs in northern Saskatchewan.
“Clearly, one of the largest employers of the north and employer of Aboriginal people is the uranium industry,” Krawetz says. “We need to see expansion, we need to see growth, we need to see employment.”
Overall, the NDP is not impressed with the 2013 budget.
The party says the budget fails students, schools and health care workers.
“And we need to make up for the lost opportunity and lost time as a result of the cuts of years previous of this government,” NDP finance critic Trent Wotherspoon says. “It’s about extending opportunity to all.”
Health care regions have been told to cut $54 million from their budgets and universities, which were hoping for a four per cent increase, will instead be getting only two per cent, which could mean tuition hikes down the road for students.
The NDP is also still calling for the reinstatement of the Aboriginal Employment Development Program, which was cancelled in 2010, but Wotherspoon says he does see some positive measures in the budget for the Aboriginal community.
“You know I look at one of the programs put forward – its $3 million – I want to understand how that’s going to touch the lives of those we are speaking of,” he says. “We have to understand that A, this is a question about fairness, but also tens of billions of dollars to the Saskatchewan economy.”
The $11.5 billion dollar provincial budget also directs new money to initiatives such as battered women’s shelters and low-income seniors.
For the first time since 1989, a new transition house for battered women will be built.
It will be constructed in Melfort and other transition houses around the province will also see an increase in funding.