Martensville Messenger November 17, 2016 | Page 14

Page 14 - nOvemBer 17, 2016 - martensville messenger SP MLAs Block Disclosure Provincial Politics with Murray Mandryk Last week’s federal election may finally bring an end to Canadians looking down their noses at the massive flaws of America’s electoral system. In fairness, there are big problems with a disengaged US electorate. This year’s American presidential race clearly demonstrated many U.S. voters live in an echo chamber where nonsense is repeated by partisan media commentators and a social media echo chamber until it is accepted as fact. No doubt, this is the very thing that has nurtured the irrationality in U.S. politics where common sense has followed honesty and truth out the window. However, while one might easily point out the problem in America caused by partisan blinders, consider what is going on in our very own backyard as it relates to Regina’s Global Transportation Hub (GTH) land deal. The very day of the U.S. election, Saskatchewan Party government MLAs were voting to refuse to bring before to the legislature the people behind the decisions that led us to pay $103,000 an acre for 204 acres valued at $10,000 - to $15,000 an acre a year earlier. Yes, you read that correctly. Those who you elected - many of them rural MLAs - made it their job at the legislature to ensure that you have less information and government accountability than you would have otherwise had. Like Donald Trump, many of these elected Saskatchewan people like to claim they are not politicians…or at least, not career politicians. However, regardless of political stripe, it is rather amazing how quickly non-politicians adapt to acting in the political interests of themselves and their party. The NDP opposition wanted to bring before the legislative committee three former chief executive officers of the GTH and deputy ministers who were all involved in the land deal. Instead, Sask. Party government public accounts committee members Glen Hart, Larry Doke, Warren Michelson, Jennifer Campeau, Herb Cox and Randy Weekes who used their majority to ensure the only ones coming before the committee would be new GTH, CEO Doug Moen (hired long after the mess) and the current Highways Ministry (who had no role in the land purchase). This is more than wrong. It was a blatant attempt by the Sask. Party to use its majority to conceal any potential embarrassing information. Admittedly, digging up embarrassing information was what the NDP was clearly hoping to accomplish by demanding these individuals be brought forward and forced to testify before the legislative committee. Some might argue that Sask. Party and NDP committee members were both playing games. To some degree, this is true. However the huge difference here is that the opposition was trying to get to the bottom of this mess and the government members were clearly trying to stop anyone from getting 16113DS0 there. Undoubtedly this remains a mess, considering what Provincial Auditor Judy Ferguson stated in her June report. Ferguson said the land was bought “at a significantly higher price and not in a fiscally responsible manner” because of a “unique board governance (that included) the active involvement of the GTH/chair (who happened to be former economy minister, Bill Boyd). From there, we have since learned that Boyd would take to cabinet a proposal to sell the land that had to be rejected because the owner of the land was not known. Finally, SaskPower in December 2013 (a time when Boyd was minister) spent $25 million to buy other GTH land - a huge convenience, because the GTH didn’t otherwise have the money to buy the 204 acres. Boyd assigned his chief political aide to negotiate the $103,000-an-acre deal-exchanges the GTH didn’t even know about. It sure sounds like there are still questions to be asked. However, like in the U.S., some voters may be choosing to see only what they want to see. Statement from Premier Brad Wall on the Outcome of the U.S. Election Canada must now work with the new President in the best interests of both our great countries. Presidentelect Trump has made some election promises that could be positive for Canada, and others that are concerning. He has indicated his support for the Keystone XL pipeline, and with Republican majorities in both the House and Senate, I am hopeful that this important project will move ahead quickly. On the other hand, I hope he reconsiders his plan to end the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). I would urge Prime Minister Trudeau and our federal government to reach out to the new administration as soon as possible on these and other issues of importance to our two countries. And then there’s the carbon tax. The election result means we will not be seeing a carbon tax in the U.S. anytime soon. I would also note that a proposed carbon tax was on the ballot in one of the more liberal states, Washington state, and it was rejected by 58 per cent of the voters. So it makes no sense for our federal government to push ahead with imposing a national carbon tax, when our biggest trading partner – and our biggest competitor for investment and jobs – is not going to have one. Letter to the Editor The Martensville Messenger welcomes letters to the editor for publication. Letters must be signed and a phone number and/or email address included so the writer’s identity can be verified. ALL letters are the opinion of the writer and NOT the Martensville Messenger. We reserve the right to edit letters for length, clarity or compliance with the current standards of public taste. Submit your letter to [email protected] or [email protected] or drop by the Martensville Messenger office at Bay #7 - 301 Centennial Drive North.