Whenever the Saskatchewan government is confronted with justified calls for tax relief they dismiss them by citing increased spending demands. Politicians need to stop talking about how much tax cuts "cost" the government, and start talking about how much taxes cost Saskatchewan families.

Whose fault, exactly, is it that our government spends as much or more than it takes in taxes every year

The government loves to point to health and agriculture as their perennial excuses for over spending. In their view, if you want health care or support for agriculture, you better stop talking about the taxes you pay.

Their argument would be easier to cling to if taxpayers were ignorant of the endless parade of waste and mismanagement emanating from our provincial government.

New bureaucrat offices carry growing price tag
Recently, the Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF) revealed that the province misled taxpayers last year when they claimed the cost of moving Department of Learning offices was $6 million.

In May, 2004, the CTF exposed government documents showing the province was spending $6 million to move Learning Department staff into new downtown offices. While Saskatchewan Property Management Corporation (SPMC) provided what they claimed was the total cost of the move, they denied access to documents that would explain the business case for this investment, citing cabinet confidence.

After a series of complaints through the Information and Privacy Commissioner, the government finally admitted that the true cost of moving offices was actually $11.4 million and counting.

Computer company plays government like a fiddle
In the run-up to the 2003 election, the government made a big splash with an announcement that they had invested $3.5 million into Pangaea Systems, a Calgary-based information technology company.

The move was heralded by government as a solid step forward for Saskatchewan's IT industry that would bring 35 new jobs to Saskatchewan.

Pangaea Systems still has our $3.5 million, but those 35 jobs never appeared. The Pangaea office in Regina closed up shop last November. The province is assuring us that the investment is not lost, as we still have an unspecified stake in the company, but it's disconcerting to learn the company is closing other offices in western Canada. Don't hold your breath for a big return on that investment.

It's the spending, stupid
According the provincial auditor, annual government spending has increased by $1 billion or 12 per cent since 2000. The total debt of the province has increased by $610 million over that same period. Had government spending been frozen at 2000 levels, we would currently be enjoying an $800 million surplus. In fact, revenues are higher now than they have been in decades, yet they still felt a need to increase our taxes in 2004.

When the government tells you they "can't afford" to cut taxes, remember the countless millions that are wasted each year through irresponsible spending and mismanagement. Think about how the government (read: taxpayers) got their clocks cleaned in court last year, bringing the total cost of the Spudco debacle to $35 million. Think of the $800,000 spent to build ethanol plants that weren't. Recall the $10 million in subsidies to film productions, the $12 million dollar soundstage in Regina, and $600,000 for a film to glorify Tommy Douglas.

Next time the government tells you they can't "afford" to cut taxes, tell them to get spending under control.