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Saskatchewan’s government is poised to spend an extra $1 billion this year, a move that would sink the province’s finances deeper into the red.
A committee meeting Tuesday night heard an additional expense of $813 million is required for SaskPower, the province’s electrical utility.
It also heard an extra $194 million is needed to pay for carbon price fuel charges the province didn’t collect.
Opposition NDP members at the meeting accused Premier Scott Moe’s Saskatchewan Party government of ducking accountability.
Crown Investments Minister Jeremy Harrison and his officials did not appear at the committee to take questions.
“We all have duties and obligations as members … this hasn’t been a great show of respect here tonight,” said Aleana Young, the NDP’s SaskPower critic.
NDP finance critic Trent Wotherspoon also said the minister needs to answer basic questions.
“Are you telling me that we aren’t going to answer for our constituents and those that we serve on an appropriation of this matter?” Wotherspoon said. “This is so incredibly reckless.”
Young told reporters Wednesday that she worries SaskPower will be forced to raise the rates it charges customers because of the shortfall.
“(SaskPower) is in a position of historic loss,” she said. “How are they going to get out of that hole? We don’t know. We couldn’t ask them.”
The additional expenditures are to be presented to the assembly for a vote.
In its mid-year financial report, the province projected the deficit would grow to $427 million after initially projecting a $12-million surplus.
Young said the deficit could reach at least $1.4 billion should the province approve the extra expenses.
The province said in a statement that ministers aren’t required to attend committee meetings to discuss spending plans. It said a minister did not appear at a Crown and Central Agencies meeting in 2022.
The province did not provide a response when asked about the deficit or SaskPower’s finances.
SaskPower did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
NDP spokesperson Landen Kleisinger said the Opposition did not request a minister for the 2022 meeting because the province was not seeking an additional $1 billion at the time.
