Observers seem to agree that economic moves had impact

Joe Garcea detected frustration and fatigue in Brad Wall lately, so he was sure it was just a matter of time before the premier announced his retirement.

“He’s had a 10-year run, he’s had some great years and he deservedly has received a lot of praise for much of what he’s done,” said Garcea, a political scientist at the University of Saskatchewan.

“But the last couple of years have been particularly difficult — both as a result of the downturn in the economy, the deficit situation and the Global Transportation Hub. I think those three issues in combination made him come to the conclusion that it was time to move on.”

In spite of those issues, Garcea believes Wall will go down in history as a remarkable figure in the province’s long line of remarkable premiers. Wall’s key accomplishment, he said, was transforming the province’s reputation to make investors and business feel more comfortable and optimistic.

“He wanted to engender an entrepreneurial spirit and I think he contributed to that immensely,” Garcea said.

But exactly what Wall’s legacy will be in the end, right now depends on who you ask.

Bob Bymoen, president of the Saskatchewan Government and General Employees’ Union (SGEU) that sparred with Wall on more than one occasion, acknowledges the province grew in population under Wall’s watch.

“Some people see that as an important thing,” he said. “What I see is a bunch of debt that we owe, which I think is really serious. He ran up a lot of debt during some of the most profitable and productive years this province has ever seen in its history.”

He noted a lot of government employees were let go and replaced with consultants who are paid three to four times more.

“His walk didn’t reflect his talk,” Bymoen said. “He talked about all of these cuts and how he was saving money, but the cost of government just kept skyrocketing and as a result we’re $15 billion in debt and growing every day. That’s the premier’s legacy.”

Joe Donlevy, Wall’s chief of staff since 2008, says the premier’s enduring legacy will be the growth the province saw under his leadership over the past decade.

“It’s been unprecedented since the formation of the province,” Donlevy said.

Wall’s leadership created confidence, which contributed to growth in population, jobs and the economy, a new stadium for Regina and a children’s hospital in Saskatoon.

“It’s an attitude change,” Donlevy said. “Many people think differently, and for that, I think he should be remembered.”

Larry Hubich, president of the Saskatchewan Federation of Labour, didn’t return calls from the Leader-Post, but tweeted about Wall’s departure: “Well. Like my mom always said, ‘If you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all.’ ”

The Saskatchewan Union of Nurses (SUN) appreciated working with Wall and his government on many issues, including patient care and safety and transformation of the health-care system, said Denise Dick, first vice-president for SUN.

“It’s given us the ability to be somebody that they actually come to as a resource,” Dick said.

After Wall came to power in 2007, RNs received large salary increases under the 2008-12 collective agreement.

“That was an acknowledgment that there needed to be recognition that there was a registered nurses shortage,” Dick said.

Wall was recognized nationally, and to some extent in the United States, as a thoughtful and dynamic leader, but something changed in the past few years, Garcea said.

“I’m not quite sure what,” he said. “Increasingly, he tried to take a leadership role in federal-provincial relations, and there were times when I think he didn’t build a coalition with his fellow premiers before taking on the federal government.”

Wall’s fight with Ottawa over the carbon tax was one example of a missed opportunity for collaboration with other premiers.

“There were things he could have done more in the backrooms than in front of the camera,” Garcea said. “He could have built a stronger coalition before moving forward and advancing an agenda. He seemed to want to be seen as the alpha premier and that, I think, backfired.”

Christy Clark, former premier of British Columbia, disagrees.

“Brad wasn’t pushy around the table,” she said. “He was thoughtful and collaborative. When he recognized that the will of the room was going in a different direction, he would accept that ... He was really effective at making his voice heard.”

She believes Wall’s departure is a loss for Canada.

“He was both fierce and gutsy,” Clark said. “At the same time, he was diplomatic. He spoke in favour of common sense, good old Saskatchewan common sense, which everybody across the country could use a little bit more of.”

While the views are varied about Wall’s legacy, Garcea believes the premier had the potential to be prime minister if he was bilingual.

“He’s remarkably intelligent and he has a remarkable talent for articulating complex ideas in ways people can understand and appreciate,” he said.

Wall put Saskatchewan on the national stage in a way no premier has done, in Clark’s recollection.

“He believed that creating jobs and giving people the dignity of a paycheque was the single most important thing that a political leader can do,” Clark said.

“It means lots of times that people disagree with you. It takes long-term vision to do that. He took a small province and turned it into an economic powerhouse for Canada. He deserves the credit for that. History is going to very kind to Brad Wall and his economic legacy.”

He’s had a 10-year run, he’s had some great years and he deservedly has received a lot of praise for much of what he’s done.