Now that the provincial legislature has dismissed itself for the summer, it's a good time to reflect on the past performance and speculate on what is to come.
With resource revenues once again flowing smoothly into provincial piggy banks, we can appreciate how the opposition NDP have had to pull a long bow on occasion to find something to criticize. Their best efforts were displayed when they reached into the rent control files to make their argument, that was a legitimate one. Unfortunately, they had few legitimate issues on which to hang their hats on this past session. They tried potash royalty rates, but it just wasn't something that caught the attention of the population.
The Saskatchewan Party government got better than passing grades for their performance in the past legislative session. The budget came down and the debt was reduced a bit. It could have been more, but it is difficult to argue that case when we see where the money did go ... into health, education and infrastructure.
Excess funds could have been used to build a sexy new events complex in downtown Regina , but this government didn't succumb to that temptation, and rightfully so, because they'll have some big ticket items to address heading into the November provincial election.
As you may have observed, not is all quiet on the labour front these days.
Saskatchewan Government Insurance employees are not happy, teachers are not happy, health sciences employees are not happy. This could all change with the flick of a switch, since all the disputes are focused on loosening the purse strings another notch or two. We believe that is pretty well inevitable if the government is to restore labour peace heading into the campaign.
Other awkward events still await them though.
We predict that once the new funding model for K - 12 education is released, there may well be some real sparks flying. If this year's funding stream is any indication of what is to follow on a more formal basis next spring ... look for some real fireworks and don't be surprised if school divisions such as the 小蓝视频 East Cornerstone aren't at the head of that pack since it will be divisions like them who will be the biggest victims of this one-size fits all formula.
The funding and governance/administration model for health regions is another messy file that requires immediate attention. But this is another one that definitely won't be addressed, if it can be helped, until after the Wall government has received a renewed four-year mandate.
The housing dilemma, here and elsewhere, also requires some innovative solutions that don't appear to be imminent.
We won't spend a lot of space here discussing the needs of southeast Saskatchewan in particular, but with transportation, infrastructure, communication, health and education needs growing by leaps, if not bounds, the expectations are obvious, especially when one considers the bulk of the revenue this province has enjoyed over the past four years has come directly from this region. Eventually the government will come to realize that the piper has to be paid more than lip service.
Oh, there will be more items on the plate for a wily opposition to pick up on, but we don't see them surfacing until January of 2012. For now, Saskatchewan is revelling in its riches, or at least some sectors are, and outside of the constant rain and flooded fields, it's been a pretty good stretch of success that won't go unnoticed.
