Could be hard to follow Saskatchewan example

By Letter to the Editor on December 28, 2019.

Re: “MLA Report: Saskatchewan is an example to follow,” Dec. 20

As a recently migrated former Hatter I would like to point out some facts about Saskatchewan balanced budgets. While Cypress-Medicine Hat MLA Drew Barnes praises Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe for a 2019 balanced budget he seems to have forgotten the province’s budget history.

The Blakeney government had 11 straight budget surpluses. The Romanow government balanced the budget two years after the Conservative government of Grant Devine almost bankrupted the province. The Saskatchewan Party ran deficits until this year in spite of raising the sales tax to 6% and cutbacks.

Saskatchewan may not be so “easy to follow” when it comes to balancing the budget. It is not so invested and reliant on oil and gas revenues. Even oil-producing Texas has the fourth most diverse state economy in the U.S. And Saudi Arabia, with it’s recent public offering of state-owned Aramco, is trying to diversify their economy.

Saskatchewan also have not privatized its revenue generating Crown corporations. SaskPower had net income of $1.97 billion in 2018. Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority netted $485 million. SaskTel provided revenues of $1.2 billion. Alberta has lost this type of revenue, and many of the jobs, that Crown corporations used to provide. Former premier Ralph Klein said “now all Albertans can buy shares in Telus,” when he sold off Alberta Government Telephones (AGT). How many Albertans have benefited from this move? In fact, many migrants from Saskatchewan keep their SaskTel phone plans because they are cheaper and the service is better, maybe even migrant Brad Wall.

Don Lyall

Toronto

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