There has been a lot of public debate, as there should be, about the amount of spending in this year's provincial budget. Some people feel the government is spending too little, while some other people feel the government is spending too much.

Spending in the 2012-13 provincial budget is $11.2 billion. That is virtually identical to the amount the Saskatchewan Party said we would spend this year during last fall's election campaign. You can find this promise on page 47 of our election platform.

This level of spending allows our government to keep our election promises and, most importantly, to deliver a balanced budget – the only balanced provincial budget in Canada so far this year.

While the debate will continue about whether our government is spending too much or too little, this is the level of spending we promised, and this is the level of spending we delivered.

Ken Krawetz

Saskatchewan Minister of Finance