Premier says public would get say if offer to sell SaskTel

Risk assessment to evaluate future of Crown corporation planned

Five simple words uttered by Premier Brad Wall on Tuesday will likely add fuel to an ongoing debate about the future of SaskTel. “We may get an offer.” The comments were made following the cabinet shuffle.

“If we get an offer and we think it’s one that generates a significant amount of money for the province, maybe enough to eliminate our operating debt, if it takes care of the jobs question in Regina, if it provides the opportunity for better coverage, we’re at least going to take it to the people,” said Wall.

It’s not the first time he has mused about the sale of the Crown corporation. On the same day the government returned to the legislative assembly following April’s election, Wall announced that SaskTel would be doing a risk assessment to evaluate its future.

No offer is on the table, but Wall said if the province gets an offer to sell — a good one — “we’re going to need somebody to lead that process.”

That’s Dustin Duncan, the former health minister who was shuffled into the job as minister of energy as well as the minister responsible for SaskTel and SaskEnergy.

Part of Wall’s rationale for picking Duncan appears to be the former health minister’s salesmanship.

If we get an offer and we think it’s one that generates significant money for the province … we’re at least going to take it to the people.

“If it’s the right deal, he’d be advocating it, I expect,” said Wall.

The premier is standing firm to his promise of not selling the Crown without a mandate from the public, but his comments Tuesday indicate he’s willing to have a referendum, with the government making it clear where they want voters to cast votes.

Duncan said there is no active offer in the works and SaskTel doesn’t have a “For Sale” sign posted on it.

“There’s no active part that we’re playing,” he said.

As for his salesmanship skills, if it comes to that, Duncan joked he briefly tried car sales before going into politics, and “I wasn’t the greatest at that.”