A Canadian lawmaker is reportedly apologizing for using a photo of the smoldering Twin Towers to advertise a Saskatchewan Party pig roast. Premier Brad Wall, who said he had not seen the advertisement, told the Vancouver Sun there may have been a "juxtaposition" issue regarding a flier to advertise an April 11 fundraising dinner for the Martensville constituency association.

Saskatchewan's Environment Minister is under attack after an image of the 9/11 attacks was used to advertise a Saskatchewan Party fundraiser in her riding. The poster promotes the "2nd Annual Spring Fundraising Dinner" in Nancy Heppner's Martensville riding and promises a pig roast as well as a speech from Chief Richard Picciotto, the highest-ranking firefighter to be pulled from the rubble of New York's World Trade Center.

Two days after the story about the Saskatchewan Party's fund-raising off of 9/11 first broke - and after it's been slammed across the political spectrum on its way to being noted by a national news outlet - there's still nary a mention anywhere in Saskatchewan's traditional media, including the likes of the Leader-Post, CJME and even CBC.

Victims of domestic abuse in Saskatoon are losing out on vital help because of Saskatchewan Party cutbacks, the NDP charged Monday in the first question period of the spring sitting of the legislature.

Criticizing the Wall government for failing to take its budget issues seriously isn't getting personal. The same stands for raising concerns over Wall's executive competency or the similarities between his governance and that of Mr. Devine. They're legitimate leadership critiques, and framing either as getting personal seems to me to be a regurgitation of the Sask. Party's mean ol' NDP rhetoric, not objective reporting or analysis.

I want to add my voice to those of other Saskatchewan bloggers who are shaking their heads in wonder at a poster being circulated for a Saskatchewan Party fundraiser.

It's never been much of a secret that the Sask Party's underlying philosophy is one of shameless exploitation of whatever it can get its hands on. Normally, though, that's been covered up with just enough of a facade of social concern to try to present the party as somewhat moderate and non-threatening for mass consumption. Now, the curtain looks to have been pulled back.

Heading into this weekend's Saskatchewan Party convention, the assembled faithful will be sticking to the adage better safe than sorry. The resolutions up for debate at the gathering slated for today and Sunday in Regina are few, and fresh and potentially controversial ideas are far between.

"We want a contract! We want a contract!" was just one of the many chants heard marching down Central Avenue in Swift Current Feb. 25 as a group of disgruntled health-care workers rallied to Premier Brad Wall's constituency office. "We're gonna give `em the boot!" shouted Service Employees International Union (SEIU-West) president, Barbara Cape, leading the rally. "The main message for the premier is that the constituents in the city of Swift Current, the health-care workers in this city, their families and their neighbours, they want to see settlement in the collective bargaining process in the health-care system," she said.

Needless to say, Murray Mandryk's latest column can't pass without some comment. But it's worth noting that while Mandryk is off base in his view of citizen involvement in politics whether through blogs or otherwise, at least part of the problem looks to be his willingness to take at face value some party presentation which requires some clarification and correction of its own.