Sask learning minister making it up as he goes along

Remember back in the last provincial election when the NDP platform said they "had room to receive the recommendations of the Boughen commission on k-12 education"? You'll recall that they did in fact raise taxes in their first budget after the election in direct contravention of their campaign pledge to "continue to reduce taxes."

When asked about the fact that the province raised the PST, Learning Minister Andrew Thomson is now telling us that tax increase was for health care, and not to offset school tax reductions.

Using a sales tax, as was suggested by the Boughen Commission on Financing Kindergarten to Grade 12 Education, is more fair, said Blakley. Commissioner Ray Boughen recommended hiking the provincial sales tax by one per cent.

The PST did go up to seven per cent in the 2004 budget, but the money was to be used to fund health, not education. Learning Minister Andrew Thomson said then that the government did not want to raise the sales tax again and the money raised by the hike could not be redirected to education.

It seems whenever the government wants to engage in a mindless tax grab it's really, really necessary for health care. Let's be clear -- that money was not for health care. That money was to balance the budget as the government was sinking deeper into deficit with a number of public sector unions intentionally left to negotiate contracts with.

Don't let politicians revise history for us. And don't let them frame the debate.