Before jetting to India on a trade mission alongside Prime Minister Mark Carney later this week, Premier Scott Moe broke the news that a provincial deficit is coming down the pike.
Moe spoke to the NSBA: Saskatoon’s Business Association Tuesday afternoon.
“You’ll see a deficit in a couple of weeks in this province. You’ll also see a government that has made those very decisions not to raise taxes. The decisions not to cut services in this province but to protect Saskatchewan services and to ensure our healthcare and our community safety and the path that we’re on is improving the life of Saskatchewan families.”
He attributes the deficit to revenue challenges amid trade tensions and tariff wars. Moe expects all other provinces and territories will be running something similar.
“There are significant bottom-line revenue challenges, not just in Saskatchewan, but provinces across the nation. We saw that significantly in the most recent, and the only budget that’s been released so far, and that’s British Columbia’s.”
British Columbia recently unveiled a $13.3 billion deficit in 2026-27, however Moe says Saskatchewan’s bottom line won’t be nearly that far in the red. The provincial budget reveal is slated for March 18th.
Meanwhile, while in India, Moe hopes to reduce or remove current tariffs on yellow peas and lentils, sitting at 30 per cent and 10 per cent, respectively.
“We still do have pulse crops that are moving to India and other markets around the world. We will engage on having those tariffs reduced or removed, and if they’re not removed for anybody, at a point when they are, they should be reduced for Canada first.”
Moe also reflected on the success of his recent trade mission to China while also setting the record straight regarding some controversial comments made by Carney while on the trip.
“Just to be clear, I’m not interested in the Chinese governance system being supplanted here. I’m not interested in the New World Order. I just want to sell some canola seeds over there.”
His comment was met first with laughter and then an eruption of applause.
