Cabinet shuffle admits failures
“The failure is a result of Sask. Party ministers alienating their constituents with uncooperative behavior and no consultation,” said NDP leader John Nilson. “What we’re hearing far too often is that ministers neither respect nor cooperate with the people with whom they’re supposed to be working.
“If the film industry can’t work with you – which became very clear in the case of former minister Bill Hutchinson – you shouldn’t be the culture minister. Certainly, when you ignore the legitimate concerns of school board members by dismissing them as ‘crying,’ as Minister Harpauer did, then you shouldn’t be the education minister.”
Also of concern to the NDP is the creation of the Ministry of the Economy. The change threatens to further remove local businesses and entrepreneurs from policy development. This is a chilling extension of the Sask. Party’s move to take the industry-led Tourism Saskatchewan and bring it under government control as a Crown corporation.
“The Sask. Party government has already admitted failure when it comes to Enterprise Saskatchewan, their flagship initiative,” said Nilson. “New Democrats are concerned that we see them taking more steps down the same road with the creation of the Ministry of the Economy.”
Nilson called on the premier to use the cabinet shuffle as a fresh start and urged him to insist on a new cabinet culture that values consultation.
He also said that a good start for the new ministers would be to convince the premier to revisit some of the failed and detrimental Sask. Party government changes – changes which were not revealed during the recent election campaign.
Specifically, the removal of Rob Norris and Bill Hutchinson from cabinet could present an opportunity to reverse the economically-damaging changes made by the Sask. Party government to the Saskatchewan Film Employment Tax Credit and to the family class of the Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program.
- 30 -
Other Stories
View the full news archives here
