Provincial
Auditor Confirms Huge NDP Deficit
Saskatchewan’s Provincial Auditor recently
reported on the state of the NDP government’s finances, and the
news was stark. Two and a half years after inheriting an
overall surplus of over $400 million from former Premier Roy
Romanow, the Calvert government has racked up a deficit this
year of over $600 million and has increased the provincial debt
of our province by over $1 billion in just two years.
Yet despite this, the NDP government has
continued significant risky investments by our crowns. SaskTel
alone lost over $50 million on their out-of-province investments
in places like Georgia, Tennessee and Australia. The
government’s $7 million dollar investment in a movie company
called Mind’s Eye Pictures is also at the centre of bankruptcy
protection proceedings. Millions more have been lost in a
failed government investment in an organic flourmill.
Unfortunately, the Premier’s new policy on
crowns committed to more of the same risky investments of
taxpayers’ dollars. This has not proven to be a very effective
economic development strategy for various Saskatchewan
governments that have employed it over the past 60 years. It is
even more dubious in light of the huge debt and deficits racked
up by the Calvert government in just two years.
Strict
Discipline Camps for Young Offenders
In the wake of news this week that the
number of car thefts in Regina and Saskatoon is again on the
rise, our Justice Critic Ben Heppner re-iterated the position of
the Official Opposition Saskatchewan Party that our province
should implement strict disciplinary camps for repeat young
offenders.
Our plan would target repeat offenders with
a policy of “three strikes and you are in.” In other words,
young offenders would receive the “conventional” penalty for the
first two convictions but would be sent to a strict discipline
camp for a third offence. These camps are used in provinces
like Ontario which has seen a reduction in youth crime since the
implementation of such a program. They are not simply about
discipline. They are intended to teach young people about the
importance of respect for others and their property, and of
having respect for themselves.
Election Rumours Rampant
The speculation of a possible fall election
is certainly being fueled by recent promises of millions of
dollars in spending by the government. Among the announcements
are four new schools in Saskatoon, new buildings at the
province’s universities, a new health sciences centre at the
University of Saskatchewan (something the Official Opposition
committed to over one year ago), and a new K-12 French-only
school for just barely over one hundred students in Moose Jaw.
This kind of old-style pre-election promise
politics certainly points to a pending election call by Mr.
Calvert who, so far, has only been chosen by delegates of his
party to lead the province. Calvert is now past the four-year
anniversary of his predecessor’s mandate (Roy Romanow was
elected September 16th/1999). Unfortunately, the
current government has not accepted our idea for set election
dates in Saskatchewan.
Coalition Cabinet
Ministers Switch Parties
Another sign of a possible election was the
recent announcement by former Independent Liberal MLA’s Ron
Osika and Jim Melenchuk that they will run for the NDP in the
next election. Not long ago, Mr. Melenchuk was the leader of
the Liberals when one of his own MLA’s, Buckley Belanger,
switched parties to join the NDP. At that time, Mr. Melenchuk
was quoted as saying: “What it comes down to, he’s been
bought, paid for and wrapped up by the NDP.”
Despite all of the announcements and
political games, the most important fact remains that a
provincial election is looming in Saskatchewan. In the
meantime, we remain available to try to assist you with any
challenges or concerns you have with the provincial government.
Information on the recently announced BSE
compensation package is available
here.
