The Sask Party's History is one of attacking the Crowns
Thanks to our
publicly-owned Crown corporations, Saskatchewan people enjoy the
lowest-cost utility bundle and the lowest automobile insurance rates in
all of
Canada. Our Crown corporations deliver real benefits to their
owners — the Saskatchewan people.
They provide high-quality job opportunities, play an active role in our communities, inject millions of dollars into our economy and return significant profit to the people of Saskatchewan.
They provide high-quality job opportunities, play an active role in our communities, inject millions of dollars into our economy and return significant profit to the people of Saskatchewan.
"That’s the
question. What are you [the Sask Party] gonna sell? What’s up on the
block and what’s not? It’s a pretty simple question, and I think they
probably owe the public the answer to that today."
- CBC Radio Political Panel: 7:40am, September 7, 2007
"After all, wasn't Brad Wall's
relentless criticism of the Crowns his claim to political fame?"
- Regina Leader-Post:
April 29, 2006
But Brad Wall's Sask
Party doesn't see it that way. They have spent years
criticizing our Crown utilities and SGI and downplaying the positive
benefits they deliver. Brad Wall has even left the door wide
open to selling off our publicly-owned Crowns.
"There's too much state-owned
enterprise in the province of Saskatchewan."
- Brad Wall: Saskatchewan Hansard, November 25,
2005
"The Sask. Party has committed to selling off
the government's ‘non-core’ assets ... [they] would review the major
Crown corporations and be 'open to anything,' said [Sask Party MLA
Brad] Wall."
- Saskatoon StarPhoenix: September 3, 2003
"[Sask Party MLA Greg]
Brkich says the 'core Crowns' — such as Sask Water,
SaskPower, SaskTel and SGI ... would not be sold off
immediately, but when the selling price would reap the 'best
bang for the buck'. 'They're a legislative asset to
go towards (paying down) the debt,' said Brkich."
- Sask Party MLA Greg Brkich: The Outlook, February
17, 2003
"I'm just saying that's
something we wouldn't have done"
- Sask Party MLA Ken
Cheveldayoff (on the $100 million in rebates from SGI):
Saskatoon StarPhoenix, March 24,
2007
"Our position is that we want to
move out of STC [Saskatchewan Transportation Company]. We want to move out the cost that it is to
the taxpayers."
- Brad Wall: Regina Leader-Post,
April 26, 2002
The Saskatchewan Party
also believes that it is fine to chip away pieces of Crown corporations
until they are not financially viable:
Sask Party Policy CC05-6 "Stopping Provincial Government Competition With Private Sector Businesses:
Be it resolved that a Saskatchewan Party government will immediately
review provincial government competition with the private sector
through government departments, agencies and Crown corporations in the
delivery of services to the people of Saskatchewan."
- Saskatchewan Party Policy Book: 2007
Sask Party Policy CC05-7 "Reviewing All Existing Out-of-Province Crown Business Ventures:
Be it resolved that Saskatchewan Party government will review all
existing out-of-province Crown business ventures and place a moratorium
on further out-of-province investment by Crown corporations until the
review is complete."
- Saskatchewan Party Policy Book: 2007
"[Sask
Party MLA Dan] D’Autremont says a Saskatchewan Party government would
consider stopping SecurTek from competing, by simply transferring
SecurTek employees to another part of SaskTel’s business, and
D’Autremont says the review won’t stop with the security company: 'I
think in those areas where they, the crowns continue to compete in,
against private industry that’s, you know, paying the taxes in this
province. That that’s area that we may need to look at directing those
crown corporations in a different direction.'"
- CBC Radio, September 7, 2007
| Privatization by Stealth | What the Media is Saying |
After the escape of six prisoners from the Regina Correctional Centre, the Sask Party denied the existence of gangs in Saskatchewan jails.
"We’re not heading into a recession – we’re coming out of one."
- Minister of Finance, Rod Gantefoer
Wall Government must cut back spending...
December 5, 2009
Mr. Premier, stop looking for places to spend money you don't have right now. Start looking for places to save. -Murray Mandryk, The Leader-Post
