"I think all sides in this legislature can agree on one thing today. The federal equalization formula does not treat Saskatchewan fairly."
-- Brad Wall making statement on equalization in the legislature, March 2005

"Exempt oil and gas revenue from the calculation of equalization entitlement for the period from 2005 to 2012."
-- Number 1 in the Saskatchewan Party Plan for Equalization Reform, Februaury 2005

"If the lobby effort is not successful, consider a Constitutional challenge of the current equalization calculation on the grounds that it violates Section 36(2) of The Constituion Act, 1982 inasmuch as the formula does not ensure Saskatchewan has sufficeint revenues to provide reasonably comparable levels of public services at reasonably comparable levels of taxation."
-- Number 10 in the Saskatchewan Party Plan for Equalization Reform, Februaury 2005

"The Conservative Party election platform contains positive commitments for Saskatchewan and it's important for Saskatchewan that these commitments are kept," Wall said. "Chief among those commitments is a promise to revamp Canada's unfair and outdated equalization program."
-- Saskatchewan Party news release entitled "Saskatchewan Party Congratulates New Federal Government: Promises on Equalization and Agriculture Must Be Kept", January 24, 2006

"The importance of a fair equalization deal for Saskatchewan transcends provincial and federal politics and it needs to get done quickly. And I am committed to doing whatever it takes to make sure than happens," Wall said. Regardless of who forms the federal government, the Saskatchewan Party will always fight for Saskatchewan interests. The commitments on equalization and agriculture must be kept by the new Parliament."
-- Saskatchewan Party news release entitled "Saskatchewan Party Congratulates New Federal Government: Promises on Equalization and Agriculture Must Be Kept", January 24, 2006

"To date, the Conservative government has delivered on a number of its campaign promises, and I anticipate the same with respect to its commitment on a new equalization formula that excludes 100 per cent of resource revenues and is based on a ten-province stndard," Wall said. "Saskatchewan needs a new equalization program that will ensure this province is able to fully develop its oil and gas potential without the revenue derived from that development being unfairly penalized through inclusion in the equalization calculation."
-- Saskatchewan Party news release entitled "New Equalization Formula Must Exclude All Provincial Resource Revenue: Wall", June 5, 2006

"I'm upset and I think the people of the province will be as well... today, the issue is did (the Conservatives) keep a promise that they made? A pretty clear promise without a cap. The answer is no."
-- Brad Wall responding to the federal budget, March 19, 2007

"If we are successful, we will have done more than any equalization can do."
-- Brad Wall commenting after a First Ministers meeting, January 12, 2008

"He was very blunt. He just said obviously the federal government didn't think it had a chance to succeed and thought it should be withdrawn."
-- Brad Wall acknowledges that Prime Minister Stephen Harper asked him to withdraw the Constitutional challenge, March 17, 2008

"The litigation is always the elephant in the room when you're trying to negotiate something. So we'd just as soon try and not have it there at all."
-- Justice Minister Don Morgan announcing that the Saskatchewan Party government was dropping the Constitutional challenge, July 10, 2008

"I'm not going to have this debate again."
-- Brad Wall responding to requests by reporters to prove that Saskatchewan has received more than $800-million dollars in federal funding now that it had scrapped the Constitutional challenge, July 15, 2008

"We haven't made a final decision yet with respect to what happens going forward. We also need to find out who the federal government is going to be in this country going forward and whether or not there's going to be the need for us to pursue whatever action is necessary to defend our economy, whether it's against environmental policy, which will bring into question jurisdictional claims around resources possibly, and we want to keep all of our options open. I'm not sure it would serve the province's interest to disclose the opinions on either side of the issue, in the event that something similar is needed in the future to protect Saskatchewan's interests."
-- Brad Wall responding to the question of when his government will release the legal opinion regarding the Constituional challenge, July 15, 2008

Back To Top