Politics with Murray Mandryk
martensville messenger - marCH 2 , 2017 - Page 11
Provincial
Politics with Murray Mandryk
tough Budget reignites Urban / rural split
There is a reason why tough times in Saskatchewan become times of division . It has to do with the fact that no government ever seems to equally represent both rural and urban interests for very long . Today ’ s Saskatchewan Party government with 48 MLAs , 20 members from the four largest cities and 28 from all of the rural seats with one vacant city seat , has somewhat achieved that balance . However , it ’ s safe to say that Sask . Party urban support is tenuous , and tenuous support usually weakens in tough times .
We saw that happen after the 1991 election when the then-Roy Romanow NDP government also took a hold of rural Saskatchewan for a short period after the ousting of the Grant Devine Progressive Conservatives . The 1993 budget decision to close 52 rural hospitals and provide less money for highways and agriculture quickly ended that short marriage of convenience . Until recently , good economy times have allowed this Sask . Party government to appease both urban and rural Saskatchewan . During times of $ 100 US a barrel of oil and high potash and grain prices , rural communities were happy because Premier Brad Wall ’ s government had cash to meet their needs . Some of
In January of 2016 , the Van de Vorst family was met with unimaginable news . Parents Jordan and Chanda Van de Vorst were killed by drunk driver , Catherine McKay ( 49 ), along with children Kamryn and Miguire . McKay failed to stop at a stop sign at Wanuskewin Road and Highway 11 when she collided with another car carrying Chanda , Jordan , and their two young children . Chanda and Jordan were pronounced dead at the scene , while both children died later in hospital .
In the months following the devastating accident , more outrage was met by that of Louis Van de Vorst ( Jordan ’ s father ) as Catherine McKay was sentenced to ten years in prison . A sentence , he felt , that was nowhere near long enough for taking the lives of his family . And what ’ s more , not one month into her sentencing McKay was transferred to a healing lodge . There are three healing lodges in Saskatchewan , Okimaw Ochi being the only lodge in the province for women located near Maple Creek . These lodges are minimum security institutions where inmates are offered a personalized rehabilitation program based on aboriginal culture and spirituality . Participants receive programs , training , and also work with elders and the larger aboriginal community .
that money translated into reduction of education property tax on farmland , consistent money in the municipal revenue sharing pool for rural municipalities and the maintenance of ongoing tax exemptions on things like farm fuel and sales tax on farm fertilizer , chemicals and machinery . In addition , it was also good times for city dwellers . They , too , have received massive breaks on property taxes due to better provincial government funding and many of the same general tax exemptions on sales tax for restaurant meals , fast food , utility bills , children ’ s clothing etc .
One can argue that urban Saskatchewan also disproportionately benefitted from big time capital spending like Regina ’ s $ 1.9-billion bypass , Global Transportation Hub , new Mosaic football stadium , new hospitals in Moose Jaw and Saskatoon and a Global Transportation Hub . In addition , if you are a public servant ( as more urban votes are ), you haven ’ t done too badly .
Some public wage earners like nurses who received a 36-plus-percent wage increase in 2008 have done great . Most others have at least managed to keep up with the inflation , while keeping perks like earneddays-off and other things in their contracts . However as we again see a growing urban and rural divide . in Saskatchewan over a big deficit budget , old divisions have emerged . We need to create some understanding .
In the city , one is hearing a lot about “ Wallidays ”, the notion that the governments pay forces all public employees to take an unpaid day off a month to cut government expenses . It may be an idea worth considering ,
Justin Trudeau oblivious to increasing refugee pressure from U . S .
Healing Lodges- the Rightful Sentence ?
ABOVE : The Van de Vorst family ( Facebook Photo )
Ciara O ’ Reilly , Martensville Messenger
The lodges are rehabilitation workshops that work towards the release of a productive member of society . Many aboriginal women enter these lodges without their grade 12 diploma and leave with the obtained diploma in the hopes of going back to school and contributing to the world . McKay ' s lawyer , Leslie Sullivan , said healing lodges and other alternative justice measures make society safer , as inmates are eventually released back into the community . A day in the healing lodge would usually begin with a ceremonial spiritual time . As the day wears on the inmates move into daily programming which is individualized and can include schooling and learning trades .
There are many families across the province that have gone through similar traumas where the criminals are met with the same fate in being sent to a healing lodge rather than enduring prison time ; a cushy sentence in regards to the turmoil offenders have put families through . A great number of effected families spoke out a number of times in an effort to change the drinking and driving culture in Saskatchewan and across Canada . Just last October the Saskatchewan government a n n o u n c e d that it was introducing new laws to crack down on drunk drivers . The new rules took effect on Jan . 1 , 2017 , and consist of tougher penalties and vehicle seizures for first-time offences . The strive to enforce tougher rules was just the start as effected families are aware that the issue of i m p a i r e d but it would need to be implemented intelligently in order to avoid creating more problems than we are solving . An overworked health system or education system where one of the biggest complaints is teachers having too much time off won ’ t benefit from these forced days off . It seems unlikely that forced days off can be implemented across the board without creating chaos . However , it is one of many budgetary measures worthy of consideration along with ending a lot of our sales tax exemptions on restaurant meals , fuel , fertilizers , etc . and we need to spend less on capital projects .
The mess we are in raises serious questions about the Wall government ’ s budget decisions , despite the fact that we all benefitted from the good times . Thus in a smart , fair-minded way , we all now need to look at where we can save money and where we can afford to pay more . What we don ’ t need is a lot of divisive urban / rural political squabbling . It never helps .
driving is too apparent in the province of Saskatchewan . According to Statistics Canada , Saskatchewan led the provinces in its impaired driving rate in 2015 out of all of Canada . The province had 575 impaired driving incidents per 100,000 people reported by police that year . Such numbers are unforgivable , as is the crime that tears families apart .
The decision to move McKay into a healing lodge has caused some major strife over social media as many people feel the criminal punishment is not being met , however some also argue that McKay deserves the opportunity to change . Was this woman one to wake up one day and intend to kill a family of four in her drunken stupor ? Some feel that she may be deserving of a chance to change , however , her recklessness and irresponsibility broke an entire family . If that is not deserving of rightful punishment , what is ?
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