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REGINA — The Canadian Taxpayers Federation says Saskatchewan needs a heritage fund to set aside money from the next boom and soften the next bust.

The idea would be to save some cash for the future from non-renewable resources, such as potash or oil and gas, and use returns on the investment as income.

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“I know it sounds like a crazy time to talk about this when the poor finance minister’s searching his couch cushions for extra money to deal with the deficit,” Todd MacKay, prairie director for the taxpayers federation, said Thursday.

“But the reality is we have to have a plan in place and there’s never going to be a perfect time to do it.”

The taxpayers federation says all non-renewable resource revenues in excess of $1.5 billion each year should be used to pay down debt. When the debt is paid, it says the money should go into a heritage fund.

Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall talked about a heritage fund in 2012, but said it would only happen once the debt was fully paid.