Priority Issues or Spending Spree?

Andrew Thomson says, "Saskatchewan's strong economy is enabling us to address priority issues and build a better future." However, how many of these so called priority issues are actually priorities for the people of Saskatchewan?

It seems to me like the Calvert Government is taking advantage of fairly good economic times to spend on everything and anything that might buy them the next election.

Thomson says that the period of spending this year comes as the result of tight fiscal times in the past. However, he cannot possibly be talking about any periods of restraint during the Calvert years. Certainly, Calvert’s latest spending spree contrasts with Romanow’s spending in the 1990s. As Murray Mandryk notes in his column today: “The $5.26-billion operating budget (costs of running the departments, not including debt-servicing costs) that Calvert inherited from Romanow in 2001 had only increased by $238.2 million from the $5.02-billion operating budget Romanow inherited from Devine in 1991. That's less than $24-million, or half a percentage point a year -- a remarkable feat of fiscal discipline. Now, contrast that with Monday's third-quarter update for the 2006-07 budget, showing that Calvert has increased government operational spending almost as much in the last three months ($206.3 million) as Roy Romanow did in 10 years ($238.2 million).”

What is even more remarkable is that during Calvert’s tenure, his average annual increase in spending has even trumped that of Devine’s! However, at least the population of Saskatchewan was growing during the Devine years, and we all know the same cannot be said of Calvert! Thanks to high oil prices, Calvert has been able to get away with it!

So where does the $597 million that Calvert’s Government is set to take in compared to their predictions a year ago? Well $531 has already been spent!

It seems most days there is an announcement of new spending, whether it be funding for Northern Communities or its most recent announcement – that Saskatchewan’s four largest cities would have free wireless internet in the downtowns and certain areas, such as post secondary institutions. This is a priority area? No, this is a clear election grab to maintain support in certain areas where Calvert and Co. think they might be vulnerable. Nevermind the rural places where the outcome is a foregone conclusion regardless of when the election is finally called. Most downtown offices and university spaces already have wireless internet and definitely not the most in need of free wireless coverage! However, to the naïve voter this might create the image that the Calvert Government is embracing technology and is forward-thinking. This is no doubt a move to counter the stale, tired image it currently has with voters.

Meanwhile, while this spending increases, so does our debt, to 7.3 billion by year’s end. Yes, the debt-to-GDP ratio is down from 16.8% to 16.1% but given the fact that we’re experiencing economic good times, shouldn’t our overall debt actually reduce as well?

It was announced yesterday that Alberta would see a $7 billion surplus this year, due in large part to oil and gas revenues and increased tax revenues, the same items pushing Saskatchewan’s comparatively meagre surplus up. However, the government there, having already paid off their debt, plans to save the money for the inevitable day when oil and gas revenues no longer produce such surpluses. With the PC Party destined to win the next election in a couple of years, the Alberta government is not so desperate to improve its image and buy votes. Instead, it will resist the temptation to go on a spending spree like its Saskatchewan counterpart.

Perhaps if the Saskatchewan Government could resist free for all spending and pay down some of our provincial debt we could see a government that really is forward-thinking rather than one who attempts to create that image by providing free internet service.

I hope "people wants" to know Dion more!

If anyone saw the brief interview of Stephane Dion by Craig Oliver today, they, like I, witnessed the scripted, boring Dion in action. The fact that the Liberals actually chose this man to lead them baffles me. He is the least prime ministerial party leader in recent memory.

I found it interesting that before going on a rant about Harper wanting to select judges on an ideological basis (what? So no one under the Liberals was ever appointed based on their ideology or political connections?), Dion accused Stephen Harper of being “unfair” towards the Liberals on the anti-terrorism laws issue. He actually used that exact word! Has he not caught the Conservative attack ads? Poor Stephane, someone always seems to be “unfair”ly picking on him. If it’s not fellow Liberals such as Michael Ignatieff, it’s the Prime Minister.

I also thought it was interesting that Dion mentioned in the interview: “People wants to know me more.” To that I say, I hope so! I hope that they wants to know him more so they can really consider him being our Prime Minister and representing us on the national stage. That, I think, is a prospect that would surely scare them away from voting Liberal in the next election.

Tzupa Admits Calvert's Leadership Hasn't Always Been Stellar

In his nomination speech on February 4th in Martensville, John Tzupa, NDP candidate in the Martensville by-election expectedly criticized his competitor, Saskatchewan Party candidate Nancy Heppner. However, he also openly criticized Calvert’s performance in office.

He stated: “I was wondering if any of you have seen our Conservative candidate's advertisement that she ran in the Country Press yet?

In the ad she says, ‘While other provinces boom, we continue to fall behind and watch friends and family move to other provinces in search of work and better opportunities.’

There you have the very definition of Saskatchewan Party negativity. Sometimes I have to wonder if they even like Saskatchewan.

You see, our Conservative candidate moved to Ottawa 5 years ago and she seems to be unaware of what is going on in Saskatchewan today. What she is saying may have been a true statement 5 years ago when she left the province but that is no longer the case today.”

You know it’s bad when someone as die-hard as Tzupa readily admits that Calvert’s leadership has been less than stellar. Indeed, he acknowledges that under Calvert’s leadership, Saskatchewan fell behind while other provinces boomed.

My question then is this: if NDP candidates believe that Calvert’s leadership is lacking, what are the rest of us to think? If, as Tzupa confesses, Calvert will allow Saskatchewan to fall behind as other provinces boom, what will happen when our resource economy isn’t so hot? (The real reason we are seeing any growth – coupled with the fact that the NDP started implementing Saskatchewan Party ideas) Are we set to flounder once again? Based on Tzupa’s statements, he might just agree. But that’s ok, isn’t it? As long as Calvert and his incompetent lot are in power, it doesn’t matter how much the rest of the province suffers. That has, after all, been their mantra for the past 16 years.

Sask Youth Summit, John Tzupa, and Typical NDP Hypocrisy

I have been meaning to post this all week but haven’t had the time. Nevertheless, I felt it was worth mentioning. The first weekend in February, I attended the Saskatchewan Youth Summit in Saskatoon. It was a blatant NDP love-in. The final resolutions that were hurriedly thrown together on the last day by NDP hacks were presented on orange and black PowerPoint slides. The resolutions were socialist solutions to the province’s problems. It is ironic that much of the reason that we have the problems we do in this province is due to the socialism that has plagued this province for decades. So when looking for an obvious solution to them, it’s obviously more socialism, right? It is sad that the socialism is so ingrained in our society that the youth of today know no other answer but to rely on government if problems need to be fixed. Following this waste of time, the youth were wined and dined as Pat Atkinson bragged to them about the great things that the government of Saskatchewan are doing. After being lied to by the Honourable Minister, they were treated to a dance to the music of Saskatchewan bands with lovely Orange lighting to subliminally influence their impressionable minds.

What perhaps is of even greater interest is the fact that one of the principle organizers of the summit, John Tzupa, was conveniently nominated Sunday night – once the summit was over – as the candidate in the Martensville by-election. It is convenient for Tzupa that the campaign didn’t start until the organization for the summit was complete. It is typical of the NDP that they would take care of their own first. It is perhaps even more typical that they would unabashedly try to pass off what is a clear election tactic organized by the President of the Young Dippers who will later run for them in a subsequent by-election as a non-partisan event so that it can be paid for by tax payers rather than the party coffers.

It should also be noted that sacrificial lamb, Tzupa, is on record criticizing the fact that the Saskatchewan Party ran Dustin Duncan in the Weyburn-Big Muddy by-election because he didn’t live in the riding at the time of the election, despite having been born and raised there. Now, Tzupa is hypocritically running as a parachute candidate in Martensville. This is yet another demonstration of NDP hypocrisy and arrogance.

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Election Season...

SGI announced today that it would be issuing rebate cheques to most SGI customers mid-April and will be adjusting its rates effective July 1st. The conspicuous timing of this announcement raises obvious questions about the imminence of a provincial election.

Isn’t it convenient that the government-controlled crown corporation will be issuing cheques to the Saskatchewan public (who have no other choice but to insure their vehicles with the socialist arm of the provincial government) just in time for what seems likely to be election season? It seems the spending spree that the government has been on is set to continue until the NDP’s plight dissipates and its polling numbers precipitate favourably. I do hope that the people of Saskatchewan are smarter than that and see that the NDP is conveniently using the crown at its disposal for political benefit.