Some of the promises made in the Saskatchewan election

REGINA – Brad Wall’s personal popularity was one of the biggest factors in the Saskatchewan Party winning its third straight majority in Monday provincial election. The province faces a deficit this year and next and there were few new spending announcements made by either of the two main parties. Here are some of the promises that were made on the campaign trail:

THE SASKATCHEWAN PARTY

The incumbents had just six new platform commitments totalling $105 million over four years.

The costliest promise was $70 million over three years for additional repairs to highways.

Other promises included allowing seniors with household incomes under $70,000 to defer the education part of their property taxes; funding for pre-school children with autism; a plan to help graduates with a down payment on a home; expanding a robotics telemedicine pilot program that lets doctors connect with a patient remotely in the north; and extending leave to 26 weeks from eight for people caring for family members near the end of their lives.

Leader Brad Wall also announced a new tax credit for volunteer firefighters and first responders, but it would be implemented only as the province’s finances strengthened.

The Saskatchewan Party also promised to sell 40 of the 75 government-owned liquor stores.

THE NDP

One of the most expensive promises from the New Democrats was for $106 million over four years for health-care workers, including 400 new workers for care homes.

The NDP said it would hire 300 more educational assistants and 300 more teachers, as well as cap class sizes at about 20 students for kindergarten to Grade 2.

The NDP also said it would let seniors defer property taxes and implement a small tax cut for middle-class families, saving nearly 70 per cent of people about $90 a year. The tax cut would be largely offset by increasing taxes one per cent for people who made more than $175,000.

The New Democrats planned to bring back the lowest-cost utility bundle for home heating, electricity and telephone.

They also planned to sell two government airplanes and convert the third into an air ambulance for the north.