Transforming Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan has seen an economic renaissance in recent years largely due to a period of stable and restrained government which has no precedent in its modern history.
Recent governments have reduced public debt and simplified the tax system, and have not unduly expanded the role of government over this period.
This stability has seen a return of investor confidence and allowed Saskatchewan to be a high performing province over the past five years.
However, there is always scope for improving the policy environment to foster better economic growth and social outcomes.
Here are some policy ideas for meeting these challenges:
Healthcare
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Replace the present global budgeting hospital funding model with one based on payment for results.
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Separate the purchase and provision of services to introduce competitive pressures for more effective and better quality services.
Education
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Provide more choice to parents of all income levels.
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Support academic excellence with content-based curricula and standardized achievement tests.
Housing
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Accept that condominium conversion limits and rent controls treat the symptoms rather than the disease of limited housing supply.
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Introduce a housing voucher plan that allows low-income earners broader choice in the normal rental market.
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Work to maximize housing market supply by moving away from regulatory policies that artificially boost house prices.
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Sell public housing to tenants.
Environment
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Rely on unbiased science.
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Focus on measurable results.
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Recognize wealth creation as the wellspring for environmental improvement.
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Substitute risk and cost benefit analysis for the precautionary principle.
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Focus on incentives via property rights. Embrace environmentally friendly technology.
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Eliminate public sector conflicts of interest by separating resource ownership from regulation.
Core Public Sector Reform/Fiscal Constitution
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Adopt successful policy models that maximize transparency of costs, neutrality of delivery and separation of elected officials from government operations.
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Institute a purchaser-provider split where possible to maximize competitive service delivery.
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Replace balanced budget law with one that limits spending increases to population plus economic growth.
Crown Corporation Reform
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Eliminate hidden subsidies: require Crowns to pay industry cost of capital and equivalent taxes paid by normal companies.
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Remove the monopoly privileges that restrict other suppliers from operating in markets that Crown corporations supply.
End Equalization Injustice
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End the unfair treatment of Saskatchewan’s natural resources with swaps of the federal GST and transfers of provincial debt that reduce interest payments.
Tax
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Harmonise PST with GST carry out proposal to match Alberta’s 10 per cent flat income tax.
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Consider tax policy as a creator of incentives first and a transfer of wealth second.
Local Government
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Shift funding model away from property taxation towards user fees, land taxes, and a portion of a harmonized GST/PST.
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Legislate managed competition model which requires in-house work force to compete with outside suppliers.
Rural Development
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Create a positive environment which promotes widely available, affordable and reliable rural high-speed Internet.
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Expand the agriculture economy by pushing the federal government to phase out of supply management and single desk marketing.
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Improve investment climate by removing restrictions on foreign land ownership.
Liquor Stores
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Open up to competition allowing the economy’s most efficient retailers to enter the market without anti-competitive rules.
Taxis
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End quota system and price controls.
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Regulate quality and safety of cabs rather than price and quantity.
