Throne speech, rally show how we can all stand up for province

This week we watched those with opposing viewpoints offer their version of what it means to stand up for Saskatchewan.

Thursday, it was Saskatchewan Government and General Employees’ Union (SGEU) protesters with “Stand up for Saskatchewan” signs pointing out how reductions in government services have demonstrably hurt the electorate since the 2017-18 budget.

Wednesday, it was none other than Premier Scott Moe standing behind his “Standing up for Saskatchewan” sign. It was the theme of his Saskatchewan Party government’s speech from the throne that railed on about “Standing against the carbon tax” that “is an ineffective policy that will not significantly reduce emissions.”

Maybe both are doing exactly as advertised.

And if both could patiently listen to the concerns the other guys are raising, it might go a long way to addressing the problems we face today. Maybe that’s what standing up for Saskatchewan — Multis e gentibus vires (From many peoples strength) — really means.

Of course, the easiest thing to do these days is to wrap one’s self around a flag and claim your personal beliefs are the only values that matter.

In fact, nationalistic sentiments have been a pretty big problem throughout history, so they should be noted when they pop up in local politics.

Such sentiments may have been the biggest problem with the carbon taxpocalypse in the throne speech, which was far too partisan. The speech new Lt.- Gov. Tom Molloy was asked to read passive-aggressively quoted Opposition Leader Ryan Meili describing the Sask. Party government’s federal court challenge as a “pointless crusade.” Dragging politics into the throne speech is never classy nor helpful to a productive session.

Moreover, there are legitimate questions as to whether the government is doing enough to meet its own goal, restated in the throne speech, of reducing annual emissions by 12 million tonnes by 2030. Maybe the majority of the citizens don’t want the carbon tax (according to Thursday’s throne speech, 88 per cent of those polled support the Sask. Party government’s opposition to the tax), but the vast majority also want their kids to have a future climate they can live in.

However, before we stray any further into this debate, let us a consider a couple other points about how this throne speech just might be standing up for Saskatchewan people.

The 20-page speech also touched on an array of important issues — from the Sixties Scoop apology, to improving commercial driver training in the wake of the Humboldt Broncos bus crash, to addressing rural crime, to passing a “Clare’s Law” that will provide women with notification of domestic abusers, to the building of the Saskatchewan Hospital in North Battleford.

Not every issue is completely relevant to everyone, but the way to begin to figure things out is to listen to the problems of others. And when it comes to issues like replacing the Saskatchewan Hospital, this is an issue directly pertinent to the concerns SGEU members were raising in front of the legislature on Thursday.

As for what Moe described in Thursday morning ’s question period as the “Trudeau carbon tax on schools, hospitals and communities across the province” let’s set aside the political rhetoric (admittedly, harder to do when the Sask. Party uses “Standing Up for Saskatchewan” interchangeably on party and government material) and acknowledge a couple of things. Whether it’s jobs in the oilpatch, mines or farming, we are all going to be affected by any slowdown caused by a carbon tax.

Less tax and oil royalty revenue means less capacity to pay the wages and address the needs of public sector union members.

Similarly, SGEU’S Stand Up for Saskatchewan hasn’t exactly shied away from political rhetoric on the Global Transportation Hub (GTH) or political consultants. But concerns SGEU is raising about cuts hitting education, health care and other matters. Sometimes, we all need to sit back and consider how such very real issues affect us all.

It could just be that there is more than one way to stand up for Saskatchewan.