At this time, just a few simple thoughts for mulling over this summer.
First, if its summer there are going to be mosquitos and this summer they are out in larger numbers than usual. It was sure a good time for the Wall government to first cut back on their financial support for the provincial mosquito control program, and then put money back in after the darned things started hatching.
Even though the Wall government has increased spending by 32% in the last three years, in the March budget they thought it would be a good idea to take money out of their mosquito fighting program. The Minister of Health responsible for the cut said they didn’t need the money this year. Then the rains came and the mosquitos started coming out and municipalities started calling their Minister asking for help. So, the Minister of Municipal Affairs, not the Minister of Health, came up with one time funding to help out for this year only. The trouble is that the funding is coming too late. Municipal workers will work hard to control future hatches, including the West Nile carrying mosquito that is just about to come out, but thanks to the Wall government they are behind the eight ball. So, everytime you are bitten by a mosquito this summer thank Brad Wall for mishandling this important file.
Second, here in The Battlefords and around the province people are asking why is there a doctor shortage in our province. On June 23rd there was a meeting in Spiritwood. Almost 500 people came out on a warm night to tell the Health Region and the provincial government that something must be done to stop the decline in health services and increase the number of doctors practicing in rural Saskatchewan. Spiritwood now has no doctor, no acute care in their hospital, and their lab services are about to be cut back. It was pointed out that the Wall government had made it priority in the 2007 election campaign to do something about the doctor shortage. It was also pointed out that the Wall government has made doctor recruitment the responsibility of the Health Regions, and more importantly, it was pointed out that the Health Regions get no funding (yes, there is no funding) for doctor recruitment. So, when a Health Region spends money on doctor recruitment it comes out of their global budget which also funds lab services, nurses, prescription drugs, etc. The Health Region serving Spiritwood says that they funding given them in this year’s provincial budget is $2.8 million less than they need to keep all the programs they had in place last year (its called status quo funding). So, there is a cutback in funding from the province, and therefore there will be a cutback in services to the communities. That can only mean that doctor recruitment, as important as it is, will not get the attention it needs because there is no new money to help. So, much for that promise, and commitment from the Wall government.
Third, we all know, or are coming to know, how valuable Saskatchewan’s Crown Corporations are to the people of Saskatchewan. We also know that this year, the Wall government is taking 100 percent of the Crown profits (except SaskPower) for use in the province’s General Revenue Fund (GRF). Sheldon Schwartz, a 25 year career civil servant who served as assistant deputy finance minister and chief financial officer of Crown Investments Corporation (CIC) says taking all the profits from the crowns this year is not sustainable and not a good business practice. In fact he is quoted as saying “If Saskatchewan were to continue the current year’s practice, it would represent a large step backwards from applying best practices to the governance of Saskatchewan’s commercial Crown Corporations.” He also said, “if you take 100 percent of the profits, you’re going to have to find the money for reinvestment or debt reduction somewhere else. And, since there’s no money for debt reduction, I guess their debt is going to go up,” adding that in the long run, “Saskatchewan businesses, ratepayers, and consumers will have to pay for this.” Long time political and business writer Bruce Johnstone shares this view, stating in a Regina Leader-Post column “the SaskParty government has interfered with the Crowns perhaps more than any government since the Devine era.” When economists and respected journalists become critical of government policy, the public’s interest needs to increase. Saskatchewan Crowns have long supported low rates, and turned funds over to the government to reduce tax dollar support for education and health programs. We need to remain protective of our Crowns and their independence in the work that they do.
