In the wake of Brad Wall and the Saskatchewan Party's election to office on November 7, 2007, the Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF) has prepared a "Top 20 Policy Priorities for the Wall Government" that combines taxpayer-friendly promises made during the election campaign along with long-standing priorities of the CTF.

This list will guide CTF direction, give focus and provide a yardstick with which to measure the new government's performance. Above all, it will determine if Premier Wall and his government will be the long-awaited champions of tax and democratic reform issues that many residents hope for.

The CTF welcomes a new government in Regina. But be assured the CTF will remain vigilant advocates on behalf of our supporters in Saskatchewan as we always have!

TAX RELIEF AND FISCAL RESTRAINT

1. Enact legislation to balance the budget each year and eliminate the fiscal stabilization fund;

2. Pay down $250-million of the provincial debt in 2008, legislate that half of all future surpluses be dedicated to debt repayment;

3. Legislate limits to the growth of the civil service to the rate of population growth;

4. Reform and lower personal income taxes by raising the basic personal exemption to $15,000 and implementing a 11% single rate tax by the end of this mandate;

5. Subject all public capital projects in Saskatchewan exceeding $20-million to assessment as a public-private partnership (P3) in the planning stage to ensure that capital investments provide the best value-for money for taxpayers;

6. Limit MLA transition [severance] allowances to two weeks for every year served in office as it is in the private sector;

7. Pass legislation to limit general government spending to inflation and population growth;

COMPETITION AND SMART SPENDING

8. Increase the provincial share of K-12 school funding to 75 per cent over the next four years, thereby reducing property taxes;

9. Investigate options that would allow for school choice and flexible funding arrangements as an alternative to school closures;

10. Prioritize health care spending by outsourcing non-essential services to competitive tendering including cleaning, laundry, food preparation, maintenance, and security;

11. Remove all legislative and regulatory restraints to allow patients choice in health care provision, including home-grown private options;

12. Privatize Saskatchewan Transportation Corporation;

13. Allow competition in liquor retail operations by granting private vendors licenses to own and operate liquor retail outlets;

14. Immediately enact legislation which would prohibit financing of private business enterprise through grants, loans, loan guarantees or equity investments, or any other direct or indirect financing.

15. Reform welfare by implementing benefit time limits, requiring work for those able to, instituting programs that divert people to other options, and harnessing the capabilities of the non-profit and for-profit sectors to provide and administer welfare;

GOVERNMENTAL REFORM AND ACCOUNTABILITY

16. Broaden the scope of the provincial auditor to examine public funds flowing to the First Nations Trust and ensure all third party service agreements are being complied with;

17. Ban non-essential government advertising and legislate a complete prohibition on government ads one month prior to an election except where required by statute;

18. Require cabinet ministers and their staff, as well as senior public servants, to post their office expenses: travel, hospitality, and supply and services online on a quarterly basis;

19. Require, in law, approval from the electorate in a referendum before introducing new taxes, raising or expanding the scope of existing taxes;

20. Reform our democracy by creating a citizens assembly to make recommendations on voting reform, implement both citizen-initiated referenda and MLA recall laws, and adopt fixed election and budget dates.