Sask. Party bypasses due diligence
It’s hard to change Saskatchewan people’s attitudes — whether it’s based on good news or bad. That’s because our psyche is closely tied to provincial politics.
Whether it be the NDP approach of overly cautious pessimism that produced too little investment, or the Saskatchewan Party’s excessive optimism and sometimes throwing caution to the wind, neither approach has necessarily always met the needs of the day. In fact, in a resource-based province whose fortunes (good and bad) are everchanging, the marriage to just one approach can be problematic.
But that tends to be the way it is here. We go through stomach-churning swings of the political pendulum. And then we settle on one approach or the other and continue with that approach, even after it no longer suits our needs.
During the 1990s, when resource and agriculture downturns coincided with the debt burden left by Grant Devine, the only acceptable approach for the NDP was the retraction in growth, development and, yes, even infrastructure.
However, when oil prices surpassed $100 a barrel — a period that neatly coincided with the revived free-enterprise approach of Premier Brad Wall’s government — the province adopted his mindset of growth and spending at all costs.
Both approaches have validity — depending on the circumstances. Unfortunately, governments don’t adjust to the circumstances. And we don’t question their choices enough.
This indifference from us and lack of accounting from government has produced some rather bad results ... including the current Regina bypass. At a time of admitted deficit budgeting, we are hurriedly and carelessly overspending on a $2-billion-plus project that’s likely being built in the wrong place for the wrong reason.
What’s wrong here goes well beyond that $2-billion pricetag and into the decision to locate the bypass at city limits at Tower Road.
Even if you subscribe to the “spend and grow” viewpoint, building a bypass that actually doesn’t “bypass” the traffic nightmare between White City and Regina would be wrong-headed.
But for Regina city councillor Shawn Fraser — someone who would certainly be seen as being closer to the NDP left — the project has now morphed into something that’s no longer affordable for city and provincial taxpayers,
While calling White City and Pilot Butte overpasses “crucial”, Fraser said much of the rest of the project needs to be scrapped.
“In my opinion, the costs are just so high now that it’s just not worth it, given all the competing priorities we have,” he said, without directly mentioning the massive bill city taxpayers will have to pay for the new stadium.
Interestingly, while NDP finance critic Trent Wotherspoon did toss out the “boondoggle” rhetoric Monday, he was actually less harsh.
Wotherspoon argued it was “time to cut out partisanship and talk solutions” that could be begin with traffic lights at key intersections on the Trans-Canada Highway east of Regina.
However, Wotherspoon did engage in a little partisanship of his own, hammering the rising costs of the bypass and the P3 model, which he says will benefit a French conglomerate more than local contractors.
That seemed to open the door for deputy premier Don McMorris to respond in a similarly partisan way.
Accusing Wotherspoon of simply “looking for headlines”, McMorris downplayed the skyrocketing costs and concerns about the Tower Road location. He said the project is supported by “local leadership” in communities east of Regina who recognize the bypass has been studied to death.
McMorris added he has no interest in simply putting up traffic lights. And notwithstanding concerns or additional costs in times of tight finances for provincial taxpayers, “This project will be moving ahead,” the minister said. So valid concerns be damned. With the province still in the mindset of growth and not yet ready to accept that we might be in a downturn, McMorris and the government recognize there is rather minimal opposition to the project.
One gets why there wouldn’t be much opposition. Petitions against the bypass have drawn signatures, community meetings have drawn numbers. But those who fear seeing this project delayed are motivated to support it.
As for the rest of the province that will have to pay for it? Well, we’re not quite ready to abandon the growth psyche.
And government carries on in the same direction. Why wouldn’t it?