Parties bicker over cost of campaign goodies
The Canadian Press
Posted: Oct 15, 2011 5:58 PM CST
Last Updated: Oct 15, 2011 5:54 PM CST
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Bickering over the estimated cost of campaign goodies has the Saskatchewan Party and the NDP taking shots at each other.
Saskatchewan Party leader Brad Wall, at a pancake breakfast Saturday in Regina, claimed the NDP's promise of resource revenue sharing with aboriginal groups would cost the provincial treasury $1.6 billion.
Wall noted a return to an NDP government on Nov. 7 would mean a $900-million deficit over the next four years, even without the revenue-sharing promise.
The NDP fired back with accusations the Saskatchewan Party failed to factor in $400 million in extra revenue from potash, under a revamped royalty regime.
The party also pointed out that the Saskatchewan Party miscalculated the NDP's promise for additional health care clinics, by applying the full cost in each year of the promised four year phase-in of the plan. The NDP also say their opponent double-counted a $25 million promise for University of Regina student housing.
The Saskatchewan Party countered that NDP leader Dwain Lingenfelter isn't saying how much he'll raise taxes on potash, so there's no estimate of how much money will be generated.
Lingenfelter announced Saturday the NDP would improve community safety though a number of initiatives, including 40 new community police and extra funding for firefighters.
His party also pledged to extend cancer coverage under workers' compensation for volunteer firefighters, and said $350,000 would be dedicated to police and equipment to crack down on internet child exploitation.
The Saskatchewan Party shot back that such promises would only drive the deficit, by their estimation, higher.
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