Politics with Murray Mandryk
Page 14 - FeBrUarY 16 , 2017 - martensville messenger
Celebrate Family Day Weekend with Free Fishing , February 18 to 20
Saskatchewan ’ s annual winter free fishing weekend is once again during the province ’ s Family Day holiday weekend on February 18 , 19 and 20 . One weekend is designated each winter to encourage participation in ice fishing , where residents and visitors may fish in any of Saskatchewan ’ s public waters with an open sport fishing season , without purchasing a fishing licence .
“ Fishing is one of Saskatchewan ’ s most popular activities , attracting more than 250,000 people each year ,” Environment Minister Scott Moe said . “ This weekend is a great opportunity for people and their families to learn about and enjoy the sport of ice fishing and to recognize the value of this provincial resource .”
Safety is key to enjoyable ice fishing . Always use caution and common sense . Test the ice thickness before you travel on it . A minimum of 10 cm of good ice is required for walking and 30 cm for light vehicle travel . Wear warm clothing .
Anyone planning to take advantage of free fishing weekend is reminded that all other fishing regulations , including possession limits and reduced limits on some lakes and rivers remain in effect .
Free fishing weekend does not apply in national parks and anyone planning to take fish out of the province must purchase a licence . Anglers on Lac la Ronge must have a free endorsement and associated harvest ledger . These may be obtained for free through private issuers , Ministry of Environment and select provincial park offices .
More information about fishing in Saskatchewan can be found in the 2016 Anglers ’ Guide , available wherever fishing licences are sold , or online at www . saskatchewan . ca / fishing .
Provincial
Politics with Murray Mandryk
Budget mess may take time to Fix
What seems clear is that none of us will escape the wrath of the 2017-18 budgets , and based on the noises Premier Brad Wall is now making , some of us will be hit harder than others . Is this fair ? Maybe Wall would be well advised to take things a bit slower .
Speaking in the Saskatchewan Urban Municipalities ( SUMA ) meeting last week , Wall informed mayors and councilors that he had the “ unhappy duty ” of announcing a $ 1.2-billion deficit for the current budget . “( A ) non-essential hiring freeze has been in place now in government for some time and we ’ ve made some progress , but we ’ re not anywhere near close to having dealt with this gap ,’’ Wall said . That gap , in the form of a growing 2016-17 deficit , started out as a $ 434-million deficit when the budget was introduced in June and grew to $ 1.04 billion by the mid-year update in November . Now it ’ s standing at $ 1.2 billion- triple what was initially predicted . Wall told SUMA delegates that his Saskatchewan Party government “ will have no success in bringing order to our finances if we cannot contain our payroll costs . Our very base case , our minimum expectation , is that we will freeze the total ( human resources ) cost of government for this year
and potentially for a few years down the road ,’’ Wall said . The Premier added one “ middle-of-road scenario ” presented by his budget planners to achieve balance in the 2017-18 fiscal years . This would see the elimination of 4,900 health care jobs , layoffs in education , “ reduced support for vulnerable people ” and some form of tax increases . If that ’ s a “ middle of the road ” scenario , one would hate to see the worst case .
More to the point , one has to question whether it ’ s all that wise for Wall to attempt to re-balance the budget in just one year if it means firing one in 10 health care providers across the province . For starters , the problem the past few years hasn ’ t been runaway public sector salaries , as Wall seems to be suggesting . While a couple contract settlements in the early years of the Wall government were extraordinary , a 36-plus-percent increase for registered nurses over four years comes to mind , and credit should go to the Sask . Party for actually keeping public sector wages in line .
In fact , the wage settlements Wall is asking employees to forego , the Canadian Office and Professional Employees ( COPE ) union representing SGI employees say that the government has suggested they roll back their already negotiated two-percent 2017 increase , which is less than the annual increases MLAs have been receiving . The truth be told , the problem for the Wall government the past two years is less about wage increases and more about the $ 1.7 billion that the government
Letter to the Editor
Donald Trump is ready to swat Justin Trudeau ' s charm
The Martensville Messenger welcomes letters to the editor for publication . Letters must be signed and a phone number and / or email address included so the writer ’ s identity can be verified . ALL letters are the opinion of the writer and NOT the Martensville Messenger . We reserve the right to edit letters for length , clarity or compliance with the current standards of public taste . Submit your letter to ssealey @ martensvillemessenger . ca or jottenbreit @ martensvillemessenger . ca or drop by the Martensville Messenger office at Bay # 7 - 301 Centennial Drive North .
PC Organics Baby Food Pouches recall
Ciara O ’ Reilly , Martensville Messenger
Due to a customer complaint , Canadian Food Inspection Agency ’ s ( CFIA ) was called for a food safety investigation regarding PC Organics brand baby food pouches . Loblaw Companies Limited is recalling these baby food pouches from the marketplace because they may permit the growth of Clostridium botulinum ( botulism ). Botulism is a rare and potentially lifethreatening bacterial illness . A manufacturing error resulted in excess water in the product , which under certain circumstances could support the growth of such bacteria and thusly poses health risks to consumers . The recall was in action on February 3rd , though distribution was in rhythm up until February eighth across Canada . The recall was further updated on February eighth , announcing that all flavours of PC Organic baby food pouches are health risks at this time .
According to the CFIA there have been reported illnesses that may be associated with the consumption of these products . Symptoms of the botulinum
has borrowed from the open market to keep up with its aggressive building agenda . Surely then , public capital spending is where we should start .
Admittably , government ’ s good fortune for its first seven years in office have also been the recent problem . “ For three years , we ’ ve been battered and bruised and buffeted by a stubbornly long down cycle in commodity prices ,” Wall said . “ It ’ s been a perfect storm for Saskatchewan , and that storm is still blowing a little bit . We ’ re not out of it yet by any means .’’
If it took the Saskatchewan government a few years to get into its current mess , is it wise to try and dig the province out overnight ? Taking out Wall ’ s problems ( now our problems ) on public sector employees isn ’ t the best way . A one-year solution may be quicker , but it wouldn ’ t be the fairest solution , nor perhaps the smartest one in the long run . Now may be time for Wall to start thinking in the longer term .
toxin can include nausea , vomiting , fatigue , dizziness , blurred or double vision , dry mouth , respiratory failure and paralysis . In severe cases of illness death can also be a result . Consumers are advised to throw out or return said products to the store of purchase . For further information or inquires call Loblaw Companies Ltd . at 1-888-495-5111 or send an email at customerservice @ presidentschoice . ca .