Wall bids farewell after 10 years leading province
Premier looks back on stint as one of nation’s most popular politicians
For a final time on Thursday, Premier Brad Wall walked into the legislative assembly, took the customary bow to the Speaker and delivered remarks similar to those that, over his 18 years as an MLA, have made him one of the greatest orators in Saskatchewan’s political history. He will be formally replaced on January 27, when the Saskatchewan Party he has been at the helm of for a decade chooses a new leader.
Long known as one of the country’s most popular politicians, his beginnings in politics were humble enough.
Wall joked he wanted to be in politics for “a disturbingly long period of time” and took great interest in the subject “since we first started studying government in school.”
It is telling enough that he recalls seeing a “Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln” show at Disneyland when he was younger — and claims “it was fantastic.” That led to him studying the likes of Lincoln, and titans of Canadian political history such as Sir John A. Macdonald.
His political dreams took him first to the legislative assembly in Regina as a ministerial assistant in the Grant Devine government. In 1991 he ran, and lost, a race to be the nominee for the Progressive Conservatives in Swift Current.
Following the controversial demise of the Devine government, Wall says he briefly lost interest in politics. But “those dreams were sort of reanimated again” when the Sask. Party formed in 1997. Now exiting politics, Wall remains the only Sask. Party premier the province has ever had. He has held the position since 2007.
He is credited with creating a hopeful optimism throughout the province. Under Wall’s catlike awareness to the wants of the public, the Sask. Party made political history by achieving the highest popular vote totals — over 60 per cent in 2011 and 2016 — ever seen in the province.
As has been said several times in partisan tributes to Wall, he made Saskatchewan a place to be rather than a place to be from.
Aided by high natural resource prices and guided by the principle of leaving the province better than when he found it, Wall’s government made significant investments. More doctors and nurses were trained. Hospitals were built in four cities. Surgical wait times dropped. Thousands of kilometres worth of highways were built or improved. The population grew and supports for seniors and people living with enduring disabilities got better.
Sir John A. Macdonald once said, “a public man should have no resentments,” but Wall does have regrets.
Early in his tenure, the debt levels in the province dropped from $10.5 billion in 2008 to $7.9 billion in 2009. But now, with natural resource prices lower, the overall debt is expected to hit record levels in 2021, reaching $22.8 billion.
“I would have liked to have left the balance sheet better. I still think it’s strong, we have a AAA credit rating and a low debt, but I wish it was stronger, because honestly that gives the next government, and the government after that, whatever its stripe, the ability to do things,” said Wall on Thursday.
He said there has “only been very modest progress” in improving conditions for First Nations people in the province.
“That should be a constant effort and to the extent if we’re not making progress, then a regret, I guess,” he said.
Beyond those issues, Wall’s government continues to be plagued by controversy over land deals related to the Global Transportation Hub (GTH). That matter was investigated by the RCMP and is now in the hands of Manitoba prosecutors.
The passing of time will allow for an accurate assessment of Wall’s place in Saskatchewan history. It is easy enough to find positives and negatives of his tenure; it’s likely historians will draw a little from Column A, a little from Column B.
What comes next for Wall is still unknown. He said he is looking forward to spending time with his family, especially because of the sacrifices they have had to make to allow him to do the job for so many years. Career-wise, Wall said, “I don’t really want to do politics, and yet public policy still interests me.”
He said he may pursue work related to that, or borrowing a phrase from Monty Python, “try something completely different.”
What is more clear is perhaps best summarized by Homer Simpson, one of Wall’s favourites: “Show’s over, Shakespeare!”