Martensville Messenger October 27, 2016 | Page 14

Page 14 - OCtOBer 27, 2016 - martensville messenger Provincial Politics with Murray Mandryk Wall’s White Paper not enough Let’s accept Premier Brad Wall’s presumption that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s carbon pricing is not a solution to reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. After all, Wall offers ample reasons for his argument. As Wall noted in an op-ed piece recently published in the Toronto Globe and Mail, Trudeau’s climate-change solution proposal is “both simple and seductive.” “A carbon tax is applied. Money is collected, money goes out. Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions go down,” Wall wrote. “The problem is that there is little evidence this works, and yet it risks jobs and competitiveness in carbon-intense sectors such as energy, manufacturing, mining and agriculture. In British Columbia, often touted as the example of carbon-tax efficacy, emissions have increased since 2010.” Wall also rightly noted in the Globe and Mail piece that Saskatchewan “has a disproportionate share of Canada’s trade-exposed industrial sectors” plus “a significant portion of Saskatchewan’s GHG emissions relate directly to getting our products to the world market.” But let us accept - as Wall did in his whitepaper on the economy released last week - that GHGs are a real problem contributing to global warming. “There is no denying it. We have a problem; a problem that has to be solved for the sake of current and future generations,” said the executive develop carbon capture of storage, doesn’t really do much to summary of Wall’s white paper. “Climate change is real... reduce existing GHG emissions. In the last decade, global temperatures have been higher Nor does the paper offer any information on how 75 percent of the time when compared to the last 11,300 much all this will cost and where we will get the money years.” from … other than from the federal government. Moreover, The problem is what Wall is offering seems no Wall’s white paper also calls for the “redeploying its $2.65 more productive than what we now see in Trudeau. Sure, billion, five-year commitment to developing countries to Wall obviously has to make many considerations that go deal with climate change” and adding it to the existing Low beyond the environment. Carbon pricing would not only Carbon Economy Trust. impact Saskatchewan’s oil and mining sectors but also If we are going to sell or CCS to third-world our critical farming sector that would likely see their countries like China and India where many of those 2,400inputs. Like those in the mining and oil sector, that would plus coal-fired plants are being built, does it make sense to put Saskatchewan farmers at a distinct disadvantage in cut off funding to them? Is that the best way to fight a global competition with those in other countries. problem? One of the more positive alternatives Wall Wall’s white paper will be immensely popular with proposed in his White Paper on Climate Change is carbon the business community and likely the province as a whole. sinks that would recognize the many farming But it just doesn’t seem to be any better a solution than the practices that actually address greenhouse gas one Trudeau has come up with. emissions. Practical things like zero till do need to be acknowledged - especially in relation to a national carbon tax being applied to critical industries like farming. But if Wall is right in his white paper’s premise that adaptation and innovation are far more effective tools to fight climate change than taxation, one might have expected to see much more innovation and adaptation in his plan. It wasn’t there. His white paper emphasized that there are more than 2,400 new coal-fired power plants planned or under construction around the world that would pump out nearly nine times Canada’s annual GHG emissions. But Wall’s solutions that call for a doubling of the funding for climate change adaptation research and partnering with the Justin Trudeau hangs 'cash for access only' sign on Halloween federal government through SaskPower to Community newspapers Fill vital need By: SWNA Executive Editorial Board Over a hundred years ago the first community newspaper was published in the province of Saskatchewan. Thus began a tradition of the recording of news pertaining to a specific community. The births and deaths, the social and cultural happenings in the community, the political rivalries, the sports events, the good news and the bad news -- it was all covered in the pages of the newspaper. These pages are still often referred to by historians and genealogists hoping to gain an understanding of the past. In short, community newspapers are archivists. They are embraced by readers who look forward to having it come in their mailboxes. Readers get excited when their children, grandchildren and neighbours appear on the pages. The community newspaper has a shelf life for a week and beyond. As one publisher of a community newspaper said, “. . . newspapers are vital to our way of life. They are more than a way to get local news. They are also the watchdogs of society, protectors of democracy, and recorders of history. Without newspapers are you going to attend every council meeting to hold our governmen ts accountable? How will you be able to look back at what happened in our community years from now? Are you going to scroll back through your Facebook feed? And where do you think other news sites, and even Google, gets its information from? Yup, you guessed it, newspapers.” Members of the Saskatchewan Weekly Newspapers Association (SWNA) have been trying to convince the provincial government that each community newspaper does indeed fill a vital need. Advertising is crucial to the survival of these newspapers that are found in every constituency which has elected a rural MLA. “I think the provincial government is missing an important method of reaching rural taxpayers,” said Steve Nixon, Executive Director of SWNA. “The newspapers provide an excellent tool for targeting rural taxpayers and voters.” The present provincial government has however, abandoned community newspapers and have turned to social media to get their message out. “Digital spending is up. I believe this is a case of ministries wanting to stretch their advertising dollars further as digital advertising proves to be an effective way to reach a large segment of the population in Saskatchewan,” stated the provincial government's spokesperson Leanne Persicke in an email to Nixon. However, Nixon says that the provincial government has not done their homework. According to a Media Usage Study, commissioned by AdWest Media Inc., only six per cent of the population can be reached through social media. “The provincial government needs to do its due diligence,” says Nixon. “The newspaper industry has invested money on surveys and has the facts and figures to back up our claims.” Persicke admitted, “We do not track specific numbers for social media.” reach than any other medium. Community newspapers outperform other forms of media including the daily newspapers and radio stations. The weekly newspaper also has a longer shelf life with a good chance that it is saved and referred to throughout the week until the next issue arrives. Nixon is fierce in championing this industry that touches every corner of the province. “The publishers and staff work hard to bring local news to their communities where the newspaper is a source of pride. It is unfortunate that the provincial government fails to recognize their value and rather than support them, chooses to send money not only out Market research shows that newspapers still dominate all of the province, but out of the country, spending tax dollars other media platforms, particularly in Saskatchewan where on a medium that fails to reach and inform the people.” internet coverage in rural areas is spotty at best. The study found that over one third of respondents living in rural areas and communities under 5,000 population have, at best, a dial-up internet connection at home. Sixteen per cent have no internet connection at all. Figures which have been confirmed by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC). The study also found that where people live has a correlation on how media is consumed. Rural areas lean toward more traditional methods such as print, unlike their urban counterparts. The study found that the single biggest use of a mobile device outside of making and receiving calls across all community sizes was checking weather forecasts. “Instead of spending money on American-based social media, the provincial government should be supporting local businesses who can deliver the goods,” adds Nixon. “Community newspapers target people living in rural communities who have the right to know when flu shots will be available in their community or when the provincial parks open or what changes are being made to the provincial drug plan.” Community newspapers in Saskatchewan have an 81 per cent readership rate (ComBase study) and have a higher average issue 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.