Reality Check: Scott Moe refuses to rule out even deeper cuts during a pandemic

Scott Moe was asked five times if he would make further cuts to balance the budget, and refused to give a straight answer.

Here are the journalist questions Scott Moe refused to answer:

• “What will you do if you fall short of these revenue projections, which are key to achieving a balanced budget by 2024-25?”
• “It’s extremely unlikely that the numbers you have in your budget will stay the same. So when they change, what comes first – is it changes to taxes, or will you start cutting some budget items?”
• “If you do not achieve these revenue projections for whatever reason – another lock down, etc. – what is your preference? Would you extend the goal of balancing the budget a few extra years or would you hike the PST and do any kind of cut to keep on this back-to-balance plan?”
• When the numbers change, as they most certainly will, what happens next?
• Will you extend the back-to-balance goal beyond 2024-25 or will you make interventions in the form of PST-raising or any kind of service reductions to keep to this four year back-to-balance plan?” 

Saskatchewan families have already endured years of Sask. Party cuts, chaos and privatization. Cuts to health and education are a bad idea at the best of times – but now, in the middle of a pandemic, they’re downright dangerous. 

Scott Moe’s refusal to answer these questions today shows we cannot trust Scott Moe to protect the services that families count on.