Share this Story: It's on: Saskatchewan election campaign officially begins
It's on: Saskatchewan election campaign officially begins
Dave Deibert • Saskatoon StarPhoenix
Mar 09, 2016 • June 2, 2020 • 3 minute read • Join the conversation
NDP Leader Cam Broten (left) and Saskatchewan Party Leader Brad Wall Photo by Postmedia News
With Saskatchewan Party Leader Brad Wall meeting with the Lieutenant Governor Tuesday in Saskatoon to drop the writ, and NDP Leader Cam Broten rallying the troops in Saskatoon on Monday, here are a few soundbites from the last 24 hours as Saskatchewan's 2016 provincial election campaign has officially kicked off, all leading up to voters heading to the polls on April 4 …
Saskatchewan Party Leader Brad Wall, in a prepared statement on Tuesday, on the Saskatchewan Party's record compared to the previous NDP government:
It's on: Saskatchewan election campaign officially begins Back to video
"The NDP had the worst job creation record in Canada. Since 2007, Saskatchewan has had the second-best job creation record in Canada. Under the NDP, our population dropped. Since the Saskatchewan Party was elected, Saskatchewan has grown by over 128,000 people — the strongest period of population growth since the earliest days of our province."
NDP Leader Cam Broten, speaking in Saskatoon on Monday, on a lack of clarity from the current government:
"The Sask. Party hasn't brought forward a budget, they've talked about draconian cuts and they won't talk about what they're going to privatize next," said Broten. "The question is, when times are tight, who can you trust to protect and fix the public services we count on, like health care and education?"
Wall, on wait times and tax increases:
"The NDP had the longest surgical wait times in Canada. Saskatchewan now has the shortest surgical wait times in Canada. The NDP closed 52 hospitals, 176 schools and 1,200 long-term care beds for seniors. Our government has built new hospitals, schools and long-term care homes. The NDP raised taxes 21 times in 16 years. The Saskatchewan Party has delivered record income tax and education property tax cuts for everyone in Saskatchewan and has kept taxes low."
Broten, on Wall's claims that NDP election promises would increase the province's debt to $5.5 billion. The Saskatchewan Party's third-quarter financials, released last week, showed a $427-million deficit:
"He's making up numbers, first of all," Broten said. "Secondly, coming from the guy who is running nearly a half-a-billion dollar deficit, moreover coming from the party that for this whole lean project that they've plowed over $150 million into, independent studies show that for every one dollar of so-called savings … they had to spend $1,511."
Wall, on ensuring the economy stays strong despite low oil prices around the globe:
"We will keep taxes low, continue to invest in much-needed infrastructure projects and control operational government spending. Again, compare that to the NDP's record in government when they raised taxes, stopped investing in infrastructure and drove people, jobs and investment out of Saskatchewan."
Broten, on the Global Transportation Hub deal. GTH purchased 204 acres of land west of Regina for $103,000 per acre and then sold 58 acres of the same land to the Ministry of Highways for $50,000 per acre:
"People know that this stinks and they want some answers on this."
Here's a list of premiers since 1905 when Saskatchewan became a province:
2007- present: Brad Wall, Saskatchewan Party
2001-2007: Lorne Calvert, NDP
1991-2001: Roy Romanow, NDP
1982-1991: Grant Devine, Progressive Conservative
1971-1982: Allan Blakeney, NDP
1964-1971: Ross Thatcher, Liberal
1961-1964: Woodrow Lloyd, Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (predecessor to the NDP)
1944-1961: Tommy Douglas, Co-Operative Commonwealth Federation
1935-1944: William Patterson, Liberal
1934-1935: James G. Gardiner, Liberal
1929-1934: James Anderson, Progressive Conservative
1922-1926: Charles Dunning, Liberal
1916-1922: William Martin, Liberal
1905-1916: Thomas Walter Scott, Liberal