The Saskatchewan government has announced over $920 million in additional funding on Monday to “address cost pressures and respond to emerging issues” across a broad range of government sectors.
The government said the $923.1 million is part of a special warrant which will give ministries additional funding when the legislature is not in session.
The province said the special warrants will provide essential funds to meet the needs of the health system, crop insurance payments, public safety agency, highways, education, correctional services, and “increased costs due to the ratification of various collective bargaining agreements.”
In total, 15 government organizations received funding through the special warrant. The funding comes from the Government of Saskatchewan’s General Revenue Fund.
The breakdown is as follows:
- Ministry of Advanced Education ($26.4 million)
- Ministry of Agriculture ($93.1 million)
- Ministry of Corrections, Policy and Public Safety ($78.4 million)
- Ministry of Education ($54 million)
- Ministry of Energy and Resources ($4.2 million)
- Ministry of Finance ($19.2 million)
- Firearms Secretariat ($1.5 million)
- Ministry of Health ($502.9 million)
- Ministry of Highways ($61.8 million)
- Ministry of Immigration and Career Training ($3.6 million)
- Innovation Saskatchewan ($790,000)
- Ministry of Labour Relations and Workplace Safety ($1.4 million)
- Saskatchewan Research Council ($22 million)
- Ministry of SaskBuilds and Procurement ($3.7 million)
- Ministry of Social Services ($50 million)
Get daily National news
Get the day’s top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day.
Saskatchewan economics professor Ken Coates said these sorts of warrants are not out of the ordinary.
“There’s nothing particularly unusual about these kinds of things,” Coates said. “They are a way some governments will sometimes respond to crisis, but there’s also other times when it’s just bad planning.”
Coates said the threat of tariffs and uncertain future could’ve contributed to the special warrants’ high price tag , however, he believes it is more likely due to bad budgeting.
“You don’t put a special warrant together in 10 minutes. This is money that was spent in the fall or bills that rang up,” Coates said.
After catching wind of the warrants, official opposition leader Carla Beck and her team are itching for their return to the assembly.
“We should be back into that legislature for an emergency session,” Beck argued. “I continue to hear that from Saskatchewan people that they are desperate for information, that they are desperate to see all of their leaders in this province engaged, taking this seriously and mounting an effective response.”
Coates said with a very close majority/minority government, the NDP won’t be afraid to hold the Sask. Party accountable
“Now there’s a lot more scrutiny and so what I think the NDP is doing very appropriately is they’re saying, ‘We’re watching these special warrants, (the Sask. Party says) they’re essential, we’re not sure they are. We’re going to see where you’re putting it and we’re going to hold you accountable down the line.’”
Saskatchewan premier Scott Moe is currently in Washington D.C. to discuss tariffs and trade.
© 2025 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
