'You'll see a deficit': Premier Scott Moe tempers Sask. budget expectations

Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe appears to be tempering expectations about the upcoming provincial budget, set to be tabled on March 18.

On Tuesday, Moe spoke at a luncheon in Saskatoon hosted by the NSBA — a business association in Saskatoon — giving the clearest sign yet what the province can expect from Finance Minister Jim Reiter's budget.

"You'll see a deficit in a couple weeks in this province," Moe said.

"You will also see a government that has made those very decisions not to raise taxes, the decision to not cut services in this province."

Speaking to reporters after the luncheon, Moe would not provide details on the size of the impending 2026-27 budget deficit.

The premier pointed to shrinking revenue as the cause of the deficit. Moe stressed that revenue issues are not just a Saskatchewan problem but are issues that will appear in provincial budgets across Canada.

"I would suggest we will be more resilient than most, if not all, other provinces as we address those challenges," Moe said.

At a news conference on Tuesday, Saskatchewan NDP Leader Carla Beck cast doubt on the upcoming provincial budget.

Beck referenced the government's decision to issue $650 million in additional spending in mid-February through so-called "special warrants."

A special warrant is a way for a government to obtain money when the legislature is not in session, and the Official Opposition has already criticized the special warrants, saying they drive up the current fiscal year's deficit to more than $1 billion.

"It's difficult to say what to expect, because frankly, I don't trust this government's ability to bring a real budget forward or to deliver the full financial picture of the province," said Beck.