Yup Again

Thanks Brad.

Thank You Brad Wall

Saskatchewan premier, cabinet take wage freeze

"Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall says he and his cabinet ministers are taking a wage freeze to help address revenue challenges brought about by slumping oil prices.

Wall says the wage freeze also applies to senior government officials and other non-unionized executives, such as Crown corporation and health region employees.

He says the move is for one year and is expected to save $15 million."

Premier answers; ‘Where did all the money go?’

"“The answer’s clear,” Wall asserted by phone on Friday, pulling no punches in criticizing Broten’s assessment of his government’s performance.

“We’ve paid off the debt by $3 billion, we’ve invested $6 billion in infrastructure since 2007 -- that is double what the NDP invested in their same period of time in office,” Wall noted.

“We have cut the income tax by historic levels -- the same with education property tax.”

Pausing from his list, Wall noted; “We’re looking forward to this debate, if Mr. Broten wants to ask the question.”

One of Broten’s go-to points in recent months has been his criticism that more front line service workers are required in the province’s health-care system.

Wall says it’s a confusing argument, given the Sask. Party has increased front line health-care workers by almost 2,600 since taking power in 2007."

Sure Is Nice...

...to see Saskatchewan booming:

Mother of 6 happy to now call Saskatchewan home

Saskatchewan's population grew by 20,056 in 2013.

• 65% of that growth came from people from other countries;

• 28% came from natural growth (births minus deaths);

• 7% came from other parts of Canada 

And it's only going to get better:

Saskatchewan's economy expected to rebound in 2015: RBC Economics

Thank you, Brad Wall!!

Cute, Cute, Cute

Little girls in pink hard hats help at a sod turning event for a children's hospital. Thank you Brad Wall.

Again, Thank You Brad Wall

Thank You Brad Wall!!!

The State of the Province in One Word

Saskatchewan supports the Energy East Pipeline

...for not being the NDP!!!

You Go, Brad

Brad Wall: Ontario and Quebec would benefit most from Energy East pipeline

Brad Wall concerned about ‘unnecessary barriers’ to pipeline project

Or we could just build a refinery in Saskatchewan and "let them eastern bastards freeze in the dark".

Must Be A Dipper

Drunken phone threats against Premier Brad Wall, PM Harper gets Regina man probation

``Frustrated over problems with his workers' compensation, an intoxicated David McKenzie phoned CTV Regina to complain - and ended up threatening to shoot Prime Minister Stephen Harper, Premier Brad Wall and CTV staff``

Woot! Woot! Woot!

Saskatchewan's population reaches all-time high

"According to new figures from Statistics Canada Saskatchewan's population increased by more than 20,000 people in 2013.

The current population stands at about 1,117,503 people, a rise which Premier Brad Wall said shows the province is on the right track."

[---]

"Saskatchewan had the second highest growth rate out of the 10 Canadian provinces, with Alberta topping the list.

Saskatchewan and Alberta were also the only two provinces to have more people moving into the province than out in 2013, with every other province having the opposite. (Emphasis mine.)

More than 13,000 of the new Saskatchewan residents were people who moved here from other countries. Almost 1,400 people moved here from other provinces. There was a natural increase of 5,580 people which is the total of births minus deaths in the province in 2013."

There's a down side, though. Sask.Job vacancy rate second highest among provinces

"Saskatchewan has the second highest job vacancy rate among the provinces, while the ratio of unemployed people to job vacancies is the second lowest in Canada.

Statistics Canada says Saskatchewan had 8,300 job vacancies in the three-month average ending in December 2013.

The ratio of unemployed people to job vacancies in the province was 2.4, up from 1.8 a year earlier, as the number of vacancies fell faster than the number of unemployed people.

Nationally, there were 6.3 unemployed people for every job vacancy, up from 5.7 in December 2012."

It's So Hard...

...not to believe in conspiracy theories:

Saskatchewan to call for abolition of Senate

"The motion, which is largely symbolic, comes one week before the Supreme Court of Canada is scheduled to begin hearings on the constitutional implications of reforming the Red Chamber."

More here and here and here.

You Go, Brad Wall!!

SASKATCHEWAN EXPORTS TO ASIA SOAR

"Business for Saskatchewan exporters rose 4.3 per cent in the first six months of 2013, generating more than $17.5 billion in sales and putting the province on pace to surpass its annual export record, set in 2012."

Picking up where we left off....a century ago.

"Oil and gas continued to be the biggest export for Saskatchewan, producing $6.3 billion in sales during the first six months of the year. Potash exports came in second at $3.4 billion, while wheat exports were third at $1.7 billion."

[---]

"Total exports from Saskatchewan account for around 70 per cent of the province’s gross domestic product (GDP). Saskatchewan is the fourth largest exporter among the provinces."

Awe, Brad Hurt Their...

...feewings:

Liberals express anger towards Saskatchewan premier’s comments

"The federal Liberals are expressing anger at Saskatchewan’s premier over comments he’s made against their leader.

Brad Wall has called on Justin Trudeau to return the 20-thousand dollars he was paid for speaking at a literacy conference in Saskatoon.

Wall says it’s inappropriate for an elected official to accept a speaking fee for such an event.

He says last year’s conference was left with a mere seven-thousand dollar surplus for its next event.

The issue came to light after Wall was asked about speaking fees in an interview with Global T-V and he questioned whether the money was used to help finance Trudeau’s leadership campaign.

Liberal M-P Dominic LeBlanc called that suggestion a smear and is demanding Wall apologize.

But the premier says he has no intention of apologizing.

Wall’s comments came amid media reports that Trudeau has refused a request to give back a speaking fee to a New Brunswick charity that was trying to raise funds for a seniors home.

The charity says the fundraising event turned out to be a money loser."

Martin Who?

"Don't support the Keystone XL pipeline, Sheen tells Wall

"He didn’t bring it up, but when a reporter at We Day asked actor Martin Sheen if he had a message for Saskatchewan’s premier about the Keystone XL pipeline, the veteran actor and prominent activist had plenty of advice.

“Don’t do this,” Sheen replied. “It’s not going to be something you’re going to be proud of in the future. That, I can promise you.”

Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall is set to travel to Washington next week to urge United States lawmakers to approve the Keystone XL pipeline, a $7-billion, 1,800-kilometre pipeline that would ship oilsands crude from Alberta down through Saskatchewan and six U.S. states to Texas refineries on the Gulf of Mexico.

Sheen told reporters Wednesday that Wall should “leave Mr. Obama alone. He’s got enough problems.”

The pipeline is unnecessary for oil supply, and is driven by profits and a desire to control the world’s energy resources, Sheen said."

[---]

"Wall on Wednesday responded briefly on Twitter, saying, “I don’t work for Martin Sheen.”

Then, he tweeted, “Anyone ask Martin Sheen how he feels about U.S. importing oil from countries that deny women basic rights?"

Just another Hollyweirdo.

Brad Wall Strikes Again!

Rather than reacting with police to arrest Idle No More lawbreakers he has announced what amounts to a good, long over-due slap in the face of the Indian Industry:

Wall suggests funding changes

"Premier Brad Wall has hinted the Saskatchewan Party government will change how it provides First Nations-related funding in the province.

"We're going to move away from funding the process part of things that have delivered for Canadians and for aboriginals, specifically, the same lack of results," Wall told reporters Wednesday at the legislature.

He said the government has communicated this message to the Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations.

"If you will bring us projects that are about results in education and employment, you're actually going to find a government willing to partner with real dollars.

"But we're going to be moving away from just funding these tables where talk happens and interminably talk happens and the problems continue," he said.

Wall said he hopes in the future the Idle No More movement "will focus perhaps less on blockades and more on the opportunities that are available here in the province."

"We want to engage with First Nations with respect to education, with respect to the jobs that are available today and you will see some specific initiatives in this very area in the budget or perhaps even before the bud-get's out," Wall said.

[---]

""As long as I'm the premier, as long as this government is in office, there will be no special deals for any group, regardless of that group, in terms of natural resource revenue sharing," Wall said.

FSIN Chief Perry Bellegarde said resource revenue sharing is "unfinished treaty business."

"We've got to find collaborative ways to come to the table to deal with that. Treaties were not meant to impoverish our people, yet that's what we see," Bellegarde said, adding that he thinks more formal processes and meetings with government decision makers are needed.

"We need processes to get us there," Bellegarde said. "We need dialogue. ... Let's put our heads and minds together so we can really work in a co-operative manner to resolve these issues."

He said the FSIN receives "minimal" provincial funding, which is directed to specific programs or projects. He added he assumes by "tables," Wall was referring to long-standing self-governance tables.

"I want to see results as well," Bellegarde said, noting he also agrees with ensuring the population is "grounded in a good education and has good skills so they can compete and do a job in this economy."

Federal and provincial politicians are scheduled to make an announcement in Saskatoon on Thursday about training for aboriginals."

I think he's got Perry Bellegarde on the run, too.

Wall can't be idle on First Nations

The author of this piece, Murray Mandryk, is an unabashed Liberal/Dipper who has nothing good too say about either Brad Wall and the Saskatchewan Party or Stephen Harper and the conservatives, so he starts with a quote from Brad Wall:

"As long as I'm the premier, as long as this government is in office, there will be no special deals for any group, regardless of that group, in terms of natural resource revenue sharing," Wall told reporters.

He then continues:

"Wall also said provincial funding will not necessarily flow through the Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations (FSIN) [Ed: Good. About damn time]  and will instead focus on results-based projects. "If you will bring us projects that are about results in education and employment, you're actually going to find a government willing to partner with real dollars," he said.

Even for First Nations people with a healthy skepticism of the FSIN's or their local band council's ability to deliver, there will be an even greater skepticism of a white politician who claims treaties are the foundation of our society, but refuses to engage in what treaty rights really mean.

There again, if you are white, middle-class and conservative - the very people at least part of Wall's message Wednesday seemed aimed [at]- you likely weren't completely pleased with everything he had to say, either.

The notion of any more provincial tax dollars being tossed into what they regard as the bottomless pit of aboriginal demands is vastly unappealing to this demographic, some of whom likely viewed Wednesday's Idle No More protests mostly as cause for arrests. Heaven forbid that we view the protests of First Nations in the same way as farmers' tractor rallies in the 1990s."

Let there be no doubt why I admire this Brad Wall, and the party he leads, and have the utmost contempt for Murray Mandryk.

New funding for Aboriginal employment

"The federal and provincial governments have teamed up to create the Skills and Partnership Fund – a fund they hope will help First Nations people find fulfilling long-term employment.

The announcement, which followed Brad Wall’s hints about cutting FSIN funding yesterday, was made by MP Rob Clarke and MLA Rob Norris.

The majority of the funds announced come from the federal government’s $7.9 million investment in Northern Career Quest, with the province chipping in $1.5 million through the Ministry of the Economy.

Federal funds are being invested in Northern Career Quest for its training for employment in the mining industry.

“Our government’s top priorities are job creation, economic growth and long-term prosperity,” said Clarke in a press release. “That is why we work with organizations like Northern Career Quest to ensure that Aboriginal people are able to take full advantage of economic opportunities.”

Northern Career Quest will provide Aboriginal people in the province with classroom and on-site training and work experience in the mining industry. In two years, the organization will train 800 people for positions such as mining technicians, heavy equipment operators, welders, and office administration.

Additional funding for the project will come from industry partners, including Cameco, Areva, and Northlands College."

Sounds like a very good idea. However, we'll have to see if it turns out any better than legions of past initiatives have. I'm not holding my breath.

I Like This

Sask. premier directly appeals to Obama for approval of Keystone XL pipeline

Brad Wall urges Obama to ‘swiftly’ approve Keystone pipeline

Saskatchewan premier, U.S. governors push Obama for Keystone pipeline approval

Interesting that Allison Redmond was not part of the delegation. No fat lady in sight, yet, either.

And for your information, I'm not one of those people who owns one of Saskatchewan's 17 Lamborghinis (First video @ 8:14 mark).

[Frankly, just the thought of a Lamborghini sitting in the garage of my humble abode is hilarious.)

I Love My Premier!

Sask. premier to grow a Movember moustache

"The Saskatchewan Party premier said he has been keen to participate in past Movembers, but his advisers had told him a moustache would not be a good look.

"The staff just thought that would be terrible," Wall said on Friday.

"They'd seen pictures of me in a moustache from back in the day and they were pretty convinced this was not a good idea."

As for this year, "I hope you will help me ignore their advice and cruel comments," he wrote on his donation page."

LOL!

I think it's a great idea.

Good News!!

Saskatchewan's NDP leadership race is gearing up. So far a bunch of young nobodies have thrown their hats into the ring. They'll face a long up-hill battle gaining some relevance again. I was listening to the radio this morning and John Gormely was suggesting the NDP will have to completely remake themselves. Indeed they will. They will have to discard everything they've ever believed in. Gormley delves into what ails the Saskatchewan NDP in the second part of his article here:

"Now, there appears to be none of this - four men under 40, all relatively inexperienced in public life, two never elected and two with five years' experience as MLAs in opposition.

Either something has fundamentally shifted inside the one-time political powerhouse NDP or the party is still struggling to find its way to relevance in a Saskatchewan that hardly resembles the place this party governed for most of the last 70 years."

Maybe they should just fold their tents and steal away in the night. We won't miss 'em.

On a related note, Brad Wall still rocks.

Take that, Dippers!! You're history.

Hey!!

If Premier Wall can piss off a Democrat, he has my vote the next time. (Mind you, just the thought of the NDP getting back in power is enough for the Sask Party to secure my vote.)

Sock It to 'Em, Brad!!

Wall rallies for better Canada-U.S. relations, decries policies of Obama administration

Of Course

Larry Loudmouth Hubich would be against this.

The writing's on the Wall, Mr. Hubich. Your days as a loudmouth boor exploiting Saskatchewan's workers, living off union dues, using 19th century issues to rally early 20th century's lost causes are numbered. Good riddance!!