Here, on Donna Harpauer and the Saskatchewan Party are dismissing their own advisory group’s recommendation to work to cut Saskatchewan poverty in half by the end of the decade. For further reading…– The StarPhoenix echoes Donna Harpauer’s defeatism.– Danielle Martin and Ryan Meili make the case for a basic income,
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Accidental Deliberations: Grifts within grifts
Shorter Saskatchewan Party Ministry of P3 Giveaways: There’s always a risk that the corporate giants we’re paying to take over government operations might be more interested in making money than the public interest. We’re pretty sure the only answer is to pay off more corporate giants.
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: New column day
Here, reminding us that it’s our communities who ultimately pay the price for the poorly-thought-out election announcements from senior levels of government that we’ve seen so frequently recently. For further reading…– CTV reported on last week’s Evraz Place expansion announcement, while the Leader-Post offered an all-too-obvious example of cheerleading for
Continue readingSaskboy's Abandoned Stuff: Oil Is Not A Four Letter Word
Coal is a four letter word, however. Perhaps Wall is a bit touchy about fossil fuels because Saskatchewan produces more greenhouse gases per person than any other Canadian province [link added], and is one of only three provinces whose emissions have risen since 1990. The province contains only 1 per
Continue readingSaskboy's Abandoned Stuff: Brad Wall On “Sustainably Developing Our Energy Resources”
Originally posted on John Klein – Regina: Brad Wall says “…we need to do better in terms of more sustainably developing our energy resources…” Unfortunately what he means is he wants to find ways of ensuring fossil fuels and uranium come out of the ground at an increasingly profitable pace,
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: On half measures
Having written this column a couple of weeks back on electoral financing in Saskatchewan, I’ll take a moment to address this letter to the editor in response from R. Curtis Mullen. It’s indeed true that Saskatchewan has spending limits which apply during an election campaign. But the Canada Elections Act
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Thursday Evening Links
This and that for your Thursday reading. – Daniel Tencer discusses the latest evidence that trickle-down economics are a fraud, while David Roberts and Javier Zarracina write about how the elite seems to get its own way even when the results are worse for everybody. And Heather Stewart reports on
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: New column day
Here, on how Alberta’s strengthened political financing rules under Rachel Notley’s NDP only highlight how far Saskatchewan has fallen behind. For further reading…– Bill 1 is here (PDF), while Alberta’s legislation which it amends to prohibit organizational donations is the Election Finances and Contributions Disclosure Act, RSA 2000, c E-2
Continue readingSaskboy's Abandoned Stuff: Saving Canada $90,000,000/year not worth Wall’s “effort”
“The Senate is never going to run properly and it’s never going to be worth the money we put into it. So it should be scrapped.” .@PremierBradWall Couldn't SK start the constitutional amendment process by proposing and adopting an amendment to abolish the Senate? — Mike Burton (@Mikefromregina) June 9,
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Juxtaposition
Brad Wall’s Saskatchewan Party is trumpeting the “success” of a hiring freeze in which the entire government saved $8 million in a quarter – or roughly $32 million per year – by not hiring staff. Brad Wall’s Saskatchewan Party has increased the cost of consultants in the Ministry of Highways
Continue readingSaskboy's Abandoned Stuff: This is Your Daily Economic Action Plan Reminder
Canada is not a Petrostate, I repeat, Canada is Not a Petrostate. There is no evidence that Canada places more value on oil than democracy. Remember, don’t “attack the Canadian economy” by speaking against economic activity you disagree with. RCMP officer to C-51 protester: "when the demo's down, you become
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Apparently they’ll let anybody blather away on the intertoobz
Here, for instance, is me chatting with Paul Dechene. (And to correct myself, the impending provincial election is the second under fixed election dates – though the first where it’s lining up with an associated federal election.)
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: New column day
Here, on the Saskatchewan Party’s devaluation of the music teacher (among other cultural and community-building parts of our schools). For further reading…– CBC reported on the Prairie Spirit School Division’s decision to eliminate school bands here, and Janet French did likewise here.– The Star-Phoenix’ editorial board weighed in here. And
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: New column day
Here, on how Brad Wall looks to face plenty of new political challenges now that he can’t rely on an Alberta PC dynasty to do much of his dirty work for him. For further reading…– I briefly addressed the same issue with a particular focus on privatized MRIs in this
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Monday Evening Links
Miscellaneous material for your Monday reading. – Sara Mojtehedzadeh highlights how Ontario employers are exploiting temporary workers rather than making any effort to offer jobs which can support a life: Under Ontario’s antiquated Employment Standards Act, which is currently under review, there is no limit on how long a company
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: On private choices
Among the other noteworthy impacts of Rachel Notley’s resounding election victory, right-wing governments elsewhere can no longer point to Alberta as the worst offender when it comes to breaking down universal public health care. And it may not be surprising that Brad Wall is offering to play that role instead,
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: On personal protections
Where Brad Wall will admit just one “lapse in judgment” in his office’s deliberate release of Peter Bowden’s personal information for political purposes, I can count several – with a staffer’s working for Wall in the first place, following his instructions, and expecting not to be thrown under the bus
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: New column day
Here, on how the treatment of Peter Bowden’s concerns about patient care demonstrate that the Saskatchewan Party can’t tell the difference between partisan and public interests. For further reading…– The background to the story, including Bowden’s comment on understaffing at his Oliver Lodge workplace, was reported on by Clare Clancy
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: On radioactive proposals
Never mind Brad Wall’s hand-picked group of nuclear industry shills using public money to further their own profits found that nuclear power is not price-competitive even among an artificially limited set of options absent a substantial carbon price – and that Wall himself refuses to set one. And never mind
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: New column day
Here, on Brad Wall’s appalling admission that the Saskatchewan Party’s plan for a low-carbon economy is to move into Ontario’s basement rather than pursuing sustainable development in Saskatchewan. For further reading…– Wall’s comments and other provincial positions in the lead up to this week’s premiers’ meeting can be found here.
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