Martensville Messenger November 17, 2016 | Page 14
Page 14 - nOvemBer 17, 2016 - martensville messenger
SP MLAs
Block
Disclosure
Provincial
Politics
with
Murray Mandryk
Last week’s federal election may finally bring an end to Canadians looking down
their noses at the massive flaws of America’s electoral system. In fairness, there are big
problems with a disengaged US electorate. This year’s American presidential race clearly
demonstrated many U.S. voters live in an echo chamber where nonsense is repeated by
partisan media commentators and a social media echo chamber until it is accepted as fact.
No doubt, this is the very thing that has nurtured the irrationality in U.S. politics where
common sense has followed honesty and truth out the window. However, while one might
easily point out the problem in America caused by partisan blinders, consider what is going
on in our very own backyard as it relates to Regina’s Global Transportation Hub (GTH)
land deal.
The very day of the U.S. election, Saskatchewan Party government MLAs were
voting to refuse to bring before to the legislature the people behind the decisions that
led us to pay $103,000 an acre for 204 acres valued at $10,000 - to $15,000 an acre a
year earlier. Yes, you read that correctly. Those who you elected - many of them rural
MLAs - made it their job at the legislature to ensure that you have less information and
government accountability than you would have otherwise had. Like Donald Trump, many
of these elected Saskatchewan people like to claim they are not politicians…or at least, not
career politicians. However, regardless of political stripe, it is rather amazing how quickly
non-politicians adapt to acting in the political interests of themselves and their party.
The NDP opposition wanted to bring before the legislative committee three
former chief executive officers of the GTH and deputy ministers who were all involved
in the land deal. Instead, Sask. Party government public accounts committee members
Glen Hart, Larry Doke, Warren Michelson, Jennifer Campeau, Herb Cox and Randy
Weekes who used their majority to ensure the only ones coming before the committee
would be new GTH, CEO Doug Moen (hired long after the mess) and the current
Highways Ministry (who had no role in the land purchase). This is more than wrong.
It was a blatant attempt by the Sask. Party to use its majority to conceal any potential
embarrassing information. Admittedly, digging up embarrassing information was what
the NDP was clearly hoping to accomplish by demanding these individuals be brought
forward and forced to testify before the legislative committee. Some might argue that Sask.
Party and NDP committee members were both playing games. To some degree, this is true.
However the huge difference here is that the opposition was trying to get to the bottom of
this mess and the government members were clearly trying to stop anyone from getting
16113DS0
there. Undoubtedly this remains a mess, considering what Provincial Auditor Judy
Ferguson stated in her June report. Ferguson said the land was bought “at a significantly
higher price and not in a fiscally responsible manner” because of a “unique board
governance (that included) the active involvement of the GTH/chair (who happened to
be former economy minister, Bill Boyd). From there, we have since learned that Boyd
would take to cabinet a proposal to sell the land that had to be rejected because the owner
of the land was not known. Finally, SaskPower in December 2013 (a time when Boyd was
minister) spent $25 million to buy other GTH land - a huge convenience, because the GTH
didn’t otherwise have the money to buy the 204 acres. Boyd assigned his chief political
aide to negotiate the $103,000-an-acre deal-exchanges the GTH didn’t even know about.
It sure sounds like there are still questions to be asked. However, like in the U.S.,
some voters may be choosing to see only what they want to see.
Statement from Premier
Brad Wall on the Outcome
of the U.S. Election
Canada must now work with the
new President in the best
interests of both our great
countries.
Presidentelect Trump has made
some election promises
that could be positive for
Canada, and others that
are concerning.
He
has
indicated his support
for the Keystone XL
pipeline,
and
with
Republican majorities
in both the House and Senate, I am hopeful
that this important project will move ahead
quickly.
On the other hand, I hope he
reconsiders his plan to end the North
American
Free
Trade
Agreement
(NAFTA). I would urge Prime Minister
Trudeau and our federal government to
reach out to the new administration as
soon as possible on
these and other issues
of importance to our
two countries.
And
then
there’s the carbon tax.
The election result
means we will not be
seeing a carbon tax in
the U.S. anytime soon.
I would also note that
a proposed carbon tax
was on the ballot in
one of the more liberal states, Washington
state, and it was rejected by 58 per cent of
the voters. So it makes no sense for our
federal government to push ahead with
imposing a national carbon tax, when our
biggest trading partner – and our biggest
competitor for investment and jobs – is
not going to have one.
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