Jordan McPhail, a former La Ronge town councillor, became the Cumberland MLA in 2024. (Submitted photo/Jordan McPhail)

By Derek Cornet

budget day

‘Nothing for Northern Saskatchewan’: McPhail reacts to provincial budget

Mar 19, 2025 | 5:10 PM

“All I can say there is nothing for Northern Saskatchewan.”

Those are the words of Cumberland NDP MLA Jordan McPhail when asked for his reaction about the 2025-2026 provincial budget released on Wednesday.

The budget, which delivers a $12 million surplus that is contingent on if a 25 per cent American tariff doesn’t last for the whole year, didn’t include many specific promises for the North.

Highlights include the continued construction of the $100 million La Ronge long-term care centre, funding for Ducharme School in La Loche and continued design work for the Pinehouse Minahik Washahigan High School replacement, and funding to purchase four repurposed air tankers to protect Saskatchewan communities from wildfires.

“This budget isn’t focused on the future, it denies the serious issues we are facing in the North,” McPhail remarked.

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“I have had the honour and opportunity to listen to many Northerners and the challenges they are facing like $20 for grapes, $18 for milk. They expected a government that would provide affordability measures – no new affordability measures for Northerners.”

An overview of the budget includes introduced and expanded existing tax saving measures such as the basic personal exemption, spousal and equivalent-to-spouse exemption, dependent child exemption and senior supplementary amounts will increase by $500 in each of the next four taxation years.

The education sector received over $5 billion to meet enrolment needs. Within that amount, $130 million was earmarked to fund the new teacher bargaining agreement and to deliver 50 more specialized support classrooms in the province.

The Sask. Party also noted its fiscal priority to balance its budget with a $12 million surplus, highlighting it holds the second lowest debt-to-GDP ratio of Canadian provinces.

The province’s health care sector will receive the largest funding amount after receiving $15.7 billion since the 2024-25 budget.

The budget is also meant to leave room to help the province weather the impact of potential tariffs imposed by the United States. If implemented, the tariffs would reduce the value of Saskatchewan exports to the U.S. by $8.2 billion or 30.4 per cent, impact real GDP by up to $4.9 billion or 5.8 per cent, and decrease revenue to the province by up to $1.4 billion.

“This is an opportunity for a government to look at investing in the infrastructure and that includes Northern Saskatchewan,” McPhail explained.

“We have so many things in Northern Saskatchewan, so many opportunities to be able to offer the resources. We see billions of resources in Northern Saskatchewan that are there, that are available for folks. This budget shows absolutely nothing except for cuts to health care and education.”

In the coming day and months, McPhail said northerners see there is nothing for them in the budget. He said he wants them to know himself and the Saskatchewan NDP caucus will be putting forward the real solutions that will help them.

Uranium industry in Saskatchewan performing well

The provincial budget shows non-renewable resources revenue is projected at $2.7 billion in 2025-26, comprising 12.8 per cent of total revenue. Uranium revenue is budgeted at $290 million, up $116 million (66.8 per cent) from the 2024-25 budget and $96 million (49.1 per cent) from the third-quarter forecast. This increase reflects improved profitability in the sector, increased sales volumes and a lower exchange rate forecast.

Global interest in nuclear energy continues to grow and is driving investor interest in the development of multiple uranium mining projects in northern Saskatchewan. Saskatchewan uranium production continues to expand with improved mine site efficiency and optimization by industry. Uranium sales are projected to reach 17,400 tonnes in 2025-26, an increase of 7.7 per cent.

Uranium prices remain strong with expectations that global uranium supplies will not keep pace with demand in the coming years.

Read more about the 2025-2026 budget online here.

– with files from Glynn Brothen

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derek.cornet@pattisonmedia.com