NDP, Sask. Party leadership hopefuls ducking major policy issues
Ask Saskatchewan NDP leadership hopefuls why they are running and they will most likely tell you how badly the Saskatchewan Party government has messed up the Crown corporations, the Global Transportation Hub, the Regina Bypass, taxes, service delivery, etc.
Ask Sask. Party leadership candidates why they are running and you will most likely get a recitation of how they must protect the province from both Liberal Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s carbon tax and income tax changes on small businesspeople and incorporated farmers and whatever possible egregious indignation past and present NDP governments have/will foist upon our citizenry. Essentially, we have two parties where leadership candidates are running to be an Opposition leader.
This is problematic for candidates in both parties — especially the pending Sask. Party leader/ premier-to-be — who are supposedly running for a much bigger job.
But it’s downright troubling for an entire province in dire need of answers to a growing debt, stagnant job creation, droughtstricken agriculture and a hardhit mining and oil sector. We all deserve better than what we are getting.
Yes, there has been a smattering of ideas.
On the NDP side, Ryan Meili has talked about increasing the minimum wage to $15 an hour. That said, in all likelihood it is something that Trent Wotherspoon (who hasn’t really offered any major policy statements) will support because of its wide appeal to New Democrats who will choose their leader March 6.
The biggest problem with leadership policy debate is candidates only have to appeal to party members electing them, meaning that the fare candidates provide is a bizarre combination of hardcore party issues and generic platitudes. Sadly, leadership hopefuls tend to do what most Sask. Party and NDP leadership hopefuls are now doing — saying virtually nothing about the most critical policy issues.
This is even more evident on the Sask. Party side of the race.
Ken Cheveldayoff is proposing a tax review panel to revisit provincial sales tax changes in the budget, including exempting the PST on insurance. Cheveldayoff is also exploring another round of civil service downsizing in the next four years.
Scott Moe has pledged to create a new Ministry for International Trade and Export to replace the Saskatchewan Trade and Export Partnership (STEP).
Both Gord Wyant and Tina Beaudry-Mellor joined in the call for a PST exemption on insurance. Beaudry-Mellor is also advocating a “smart social investment plan” beginning with a ‘housing first’ plan and the possible restoration of social service spending. So far, Alanna Koch (like Wotherspoon, whom she may be sitting across from as premier and Opposition leader, come the spring sitting) hasn’t put forward any major policy statements.
This is remarkably thin gruel. And it really hasn’t even been what the Sask. Party leadership discourse has been about. So far, we’ve mostly heard Sask. Party candidates talk about support for farmers and rural life, while vowing to oppose the federal carbon tax and changes to corporate income tax. The remainder of their focus has been on social media photo ops and endorsements from colleagues.
Alas, it may be on that basis — rather than any true divergence of ideas — that we will see the next Saskatchewan premier chosen. And Sask. Party headquarters/hierarchy seems to be determined to ensure there is no chance leadership hopefuls face any questions from the media or anyone outside Sask. Party ranks during the party-run debates.
How will we deal with a $22-billion public debt? What social services, health and education services and public services — if any — still need to be restored in the wake of cuts in the 2017-18 budget? Given that the government has not even been able to impose its 3.5-percent wage cut on non-union managers, how will it be implemented on unions?
Frankly, these same questions need to be put to the NDP leadership hopefuls, who don’t seem to feel any more obliged to address major policy issues.
A desperate province deserves better answers than: “We’re against the other guys.”