NDP should be scoring points on budget — but isn’t
Premier Scott Moe is correct in that we are now miles ahead of most other jurisdictions by at least presenting a 2020-21 budget.
Compare what we are doing in Saskatchewan with Alberta that slammed through its budget in a few days prior to the pandemic hitting (although it appears the Alberta legislature will spend a lot of time sitting this summer to rectify the situation).
And look at our budget scrutiny time against the federal situation, where
His Highness emerges for his daily spending decrees with no 2020-21 national budget in sight. There likely aren’t many of you who had agreeing with Bloc Quebecois leader Yves-francois Blanchet on your bingo card, but he certainly seems spot on in suggesting that Justin Trudeau is ruling like he thinks he’s king.
Of course, there are those who might rightly argue this is being exceedingly generous to the Moe government that had to be brought back to the legislature kicking and screaming to this short, 14-day session that saw Finance Minister Donna Harpauer present a $2.4-billion deficit budget on June 15.
If ever there was a Saskatchewan budget desperately in need of scrutiny, it’s this one. However, that just begs the question: Why haven’t the NDP Opposition and Leader Ryan Meili been scoring points on a budget that will likely be the worst one they will ever see?
We are now past the halfway point of this 14-day sitting, but more significantly, only four months away from a provincial election. It’s now or never for the NDP when it comes to closing that 25-percentage-point gap between them and the Saskatchewan Party.
Sure, sittings aren’t always about scoring points. Credit the NDP for taking some of this precious, limited time to raise issues like northern First Nations youth suicides — an issue that doesn’t buy anyone many votes.
But surely one of the curious storylines has been the NDP’S inability to gain traction on budget issues gifted to them ... or, frankly even on any other stalwart issues.
As of the writing of this, there has been virtually no mention this session of the Brandt-cnib office complex proposed for Wascana Park or the Regina bypass at a time when government spending waste and privilege has to be an issue.
The Global Transportation Hub? The only thing we’re hearing is concerns from Regina police that amateur NASCAR enthusiasts are finding a near-empty GTH perfect for street racing. Finally! A purpose! Welcome to the Billy Boyd 500, folks. Start your engines, say the Sisters of Our Lady of the Missions.
Yet for puzzling reasons, we are hearing few attempts to remind voters of examples where the Sask. Party government has simply blown spending that’s been contributing as mightily to our rising public debt as money needed to address COVID-19. That such wasted spending has occurred in Regina where the NDP should have some hope of regaining seats makes it that much more bizarre.
Part of the problem is that the NDP doesn’t have particularly great answers as to how this budget should be spending money differently and Meili bristles at reporters’ questions when asked.
But nobody is under any illusion that Ryan Meili is going to be a 1990s Roy Romanow, eager to advocate tough austerity measures to get us out this hole. Civil service cuts or even reduced hours? Don’t expect Meili to advocate this.
That said, in the remaining days of this sitting, there is a whole lot one can ask about this budget up to and including the added costs of getting kids back to school in a COVID -19 world.
The NDP has noted the budget omitted the usual four-year financial projections — a critical question given the Sask. Party government isn’t exactly telling us when we may see another balanced budget.
Let’s hope we see the NDP ask a whole lot more such questions. After all, that’s why we’re here, isn’t it? Mandryk is the political columnist for the Regina Leader-post and Saskatoon Starphoenix.