The Saskatchewan provincial debt has doubled since Scott Moe came into office in 2018. (Austin Mattes/battlefordsNOW Staff)

By Austin Mattes

Time to Act

Saskatchewan’s debt rising at $3,200 a minute; debt clock highlights

Jul 16, 2025 | 3:58 PM

A massive digital ‘debt clock’ rolled into North Battleford this week, bringing with it a bold message from the Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF): Saskatchewan’s provincial debt is growing fast, and now is the time to act.

The debt clock, mounted on the side of a large moving truck, displays Saskatchewan’s provincial debt increasing in real time, currently ticking up at a rate of $3,200 per minute. The clock shows the province’s debt sitting just over $22 billion, which is double what it was in 2018 when Scott Moe first took office. Based on the 2025 budget, it’s expected to reach $23.45 billion this year.

“It’s kind of hard to comprehend what those numbers actually look like. So, people can actually see the physical debt going up as real numbers on the side of the truck,” said Gage Haubrich, Prairie Director for the CTF. “It shows what a huge problem the increasing provincial debt is, and it helps us demand politicians take action to get the number going down.”

Saskatchewan’s per-person debt sits at $18,753, which is the third lowest in Canada. On top of that, the CTF also gave Saskatchewan a ‘B+’ on its provincial budget breakdown, the best grade in the country. That being said, Haubrich insists the province shouldn’t get complacent.

“I think it’s completely right to say Saskatchewan isn’t doing as bad as some other provinces,” he said. “But we must focus on the fact that Saskatchewan still has the ability to fix this problem now before it gets worse. The government shouldn’t be coasting on doing better than everyone else who’s doing awful.”

weather update

Hot weather forecasted over the next several days

Jul 30, 2025

Economic collaboration

Humboldt exploring joint economic collaboration with George Gordon First Nation

Jul 30, 2025

Remembering a legend

Canadian wrestling promoter mourns death of Hulk Hogan

Jul 30, 2025

2025 CTF Budget Report Card. (Canadian Taxpayers Federation)

The 2025 provincial budget includes some tax relief, such as cutting education property tax rates, a move expected to save taxpayers $100 million this year, and halving the small business tax from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. However, the province is also increasing its debt by more than $2 billion compared to last year, an increase of 4.5 per cent, which is still the smallest increase among provinces.

Interest payments on the debt are projected to cost taxpayers $878.4 million this year, or about $705 per person, the second lowest in the country.

Haubrich said that while part of the debt growth can be attributed to pandemic-era spending, there are still questions about where the rest came from.

“Our calculations show that about half of this increase from 2018 could be attributed to the COVID years,” he said. “So, the big question is, where did that other $5.5 billion in debt come from?”

He added that sticking to the province’s balanced budget plan is key: “Taxpayers don’t want to see another mid-year report where spending has gone way over. They want them to stick to what they were going to spend and use any of the savings to start paying back the debt.”

2025 CTF Debt Summary. (Canadian Taxpayers Federation)

In response to the debt clock’s appearance, the Government of Saskatchewan defended its financial approach in a statement:

“The Government of Saskatchewan continues to make investments that deliver on what the people of Saskatchewan have said is important to them – affordability, health care, education, community safety and fiscal responsibility. Saskatchewan maintains the second lowest net debt-to-GDP ratio in Canada and remains a national leader in economic growth, with the province second in the country for real GDP growth in 2024.”

Regardless of Saskatchewan’s growing economy, Haubrich said the debt clock serves as a powerful awareness tool.

“When you actually see it happening on the side of the truck, it helps people understand how outrageous the debt problem is. It brings more awareness to the whole issue, especially if you take it around the entire province and park it in spots and let people see it,” he said.

The truck is part of a province-wide tour and will make several more stops in Saskatchewan communities. For those unable to see it in person, a live version of the clock is available at debtclock.ca, where residents can also sign a petition urging the provincial government to rein in spending and reduce the debt.

—

Austin.mattes@pattisonmedia.com

On X: @AustinMattes