Who do you want to win the Saskatchewan Provincial election?

[Wormo]

Originally Posted by babo

Isn't it "Karwacki", with a "c"?

yes it is i wasnt paying attention to what i was typing

[HomeInMyShoes]

Well, if I could vote, the Saskatchewan Party just lost mine with THIS announcement.

I'm totally for incentives for people to go greener in their lifestyles, but this incentive should be on purchase and not on insurance/registration. Provide proof of purchase in the last couple of years and get an instant cheque for a few hundred dollars. Simlar to the federal program for fuel efficient vehicles. Awarding reductions in insurance rates is not the place to put this. People who recklessly endanger others by driving while talking on their cellphones, speeding, tailgating, and just not really paying attention shouldn't get cheaper insurance just because they have a green car. I can kill and injure just as many in a hybrid as in an SUV. We could attempt to prove driver safety with type of car, but we've already got that built in to the licensing and registration reductions.

[h0twired]

Originally Posted by HomeInMyShoes

Well, if I could vote, the Saskatchewan Party just lost mine with THIS announcement.

I'm totally for incentives for people to go greener in their lifestyles, but this incentive should be on purchase and not on insurance/registration. Provide proof of purchase in the last couple of years and get an instant cheque for a few hundred dollars. Simlar to the federal program for fuel efficient vehicles. Awarding reductions in insurance rates is not the place to put this. People who recklessly endanger others by driving while talking on their cellphones, speeding, tailgating, and just not really paying attention shouldn't get cheaper insurance just because they have a green car. I can kill and injure just as many in a hybrid as in an SUV. We could attempt to prove driver safety with type of car, but we've already got that built in to the licensing and registration reductions.

... and they would GAIN my vote from that comment.

However personally I think green rebates are ridiculous and personally think that insurance should be privatized anyways.

Going green should be something that should be cost effective to the open market not something that the government needs to bribe people into using. Why should a middle earning taxpayer contribute their taxes to insurance or purchase rebates of cars only wealthier people can afford?

[Ruckus]

Finally...which Crowns should we sell first? just kiddin'

I was hoping Karwacki would get in....or any Liberal for that matter, too bad.

I voted SP in my riding, but NDP won it, too bad.

On another note, I'm quite annoyed by the whole CUPE strike, maybe I should expect a tuition increase....

[CCF]

Well I hope you all love rural livin'!

[ReginaGuy]

It's too bad the NDP won in my riding, the SP Candidate was a really nice guy

[CCF]

It's too bad the SP won in any riding.

[HomeInMyShoes]

Originally Posted by CCF

Well that's valid, but I for one would like to know what that change would be. The Sask Party has said next to nothing on what they'll do.

Who's to say that this change won't bring the same sort of policies that the Torries practiced the last time they were in power. That really did a lot for the province........

I guess we'll find out.

[rrskylar]

What I find interesting about Sask. politics is why for example you would need 12 MLA's for a city like Saskatoon with a population of only 240,000? Winnipeg doesn't even have that many city councilors for 700,000 people.

[HomeInMyShoes]

^Winnipeg does have a rather large number of MLAs though.

Yeah, I find that a bit odd as well. Using the ever-accurate Wikipedia for some numbers, I'm seeing a crude representation of 1 MLA per ~17K residents in Saskatchewan and 1 MLA per ~21K residents in Manitoba. Saskatchewan has always been about overstretching itself tax dollar wise so why would the actual government be any different. And leading me to, what is the current MLA's wage? Even at the paltry listed $64K in 2006, not including some benefits that the tax-payers association says makes the real wage somewhere around $85K, that means each resident is paying almost $4 a year for representation in Saskatchewan. Makes me ask the question: am I getting my $4 worth?

[rrskylar]

^ Looked through your photo threads.....simply amazing!

[newflyer]

Congrats to the Saskatchewan people for electing a economically progressive party like the Sask Party. It should pay off in encouraging more business investment thoughout the province.

[TSN]

I'm not a resident of Sask but from following this election, anyone who thinks that there is going to be drastic change introduced by the SP will likely be disappointed, providing Brad Wall sticks to his promises. SP/NDP policies seemed very similar with the SP focusing a bit less on spending and a bit more on things like the debt. Both parties were very centrist, that's why the Liberals ended up being slaughtered.

The Sask NDP legacy under Romanow/Calvert really hasn't been that bad in terms of fiscal management. Unlike the current premiers in places like BC and Ontario, who had to deal with NDP and PC disasters, Wall is walking into a pretty good situation. Hopefully, he can fine tune things to make them better.

We'll see what Albertans do with their 'long in the tooth' regime but I suspect nothing will change.

[newflyer]

Originally Posted by TSN

I'm not a resident of Sask but from following this election, anyone who thinks that there is going to be drastic change introduced by the SP will likely be disappointed, providing Brad Wall sticks to his promises. SP/NDP policies seemed very similar with the SP focusing a bit less on spending and a bit more on things like the debt. Both parties were very centrist, that's why the Liberals ended up being slaughtered.

The Sask NDP legacy under Romanow/Calvert really hasn't been that bad in terms of fiscal management. Unlike the current premiers in places like BC and Ontario, who had to deal with NDP and PC disasters, Wall is walking into a pretty good situation. Hopefully, he can fine tune things to make them better.

We'll see what Albertans do with their 'long in the tooth' regime but I suspect nothing will change.

I fulling expect to see Saskatchewan become more business friendly in the coming years.

As far as Alberta goes... there are rumblings of the need for another pro-business party, too keep the PC's on there toes. Until that happens the PC's will likely continue to win without much of fight, beyond a mass of protest voters, who are not voting for the current alternatives, but are pissed at the lack of priorities coming from Ed.

[Ruckus]

Originally Posted by TSN

I'm not a resident of Sask but from following this election, anyone who thinks that there is going to be drastic change introduced by the SP will likely be disappointed, providing Brad Wall sticks to his promises. SP/NDP policies seemed very similar with the SP focusing a bit less on spending and a bit more on things like the debt. Both parties were very centrist, that's why the Liberals ended up being slaughtered.

The Sask NDP legacy under Romanow/Calvert really hasn't been that bad in terms of fiscal management. Unlike the current premiers in places like BC and Ontario, who had to deal with NDP and PC disasters, Wall is walking into a pretty good situation. Hopefully, he can fine tune things to make them better.

We'll see what Albertans do with their 'long in the tooth' regime but I suspect nothing will change.

New Saskatchewan

I agree and would add a change in government is more than slight adjustments in policies....of greater significance is the perceived ideological shift of the province (e.g. government and citizens) which obviously influences policy perspectives (policies=details=somewhat minor).

The most significant effects of an elected Saskatchewan Party is how, to what degree and how quickly Saskatchewanian's everyday decision making (e.g. consciousness) is altered with a government now pursuing Saskatchewan interests through a different lens with different friends. Saskatchewan residents and businesses may pursue profits at a higher level through increased opportunistic behavior, perhaps regardless of societal impact (behavior not often associated with Saskatchewan). On a Local -> Global level, the perceived Socialist/Communist Saskatchewan image is dead (excluding Crowns), a new Saskatchewan has arrived....it's not Alberta, nor is it the old Saskatchewan, this province has become and is becoming something of an entirely different sort, a newly elected Saskatchewan Party speaks to that assertion.

General Thoughts

How can Saskatchewan catch up to Alberta? How can Saskatchewan best Alberta?

The Saskatchewan Party seems to have a pretty good idea increased resource extraction, targeted funding for post secondary institutions, increased funding for provincial parks/campgrounds/recreation, tax reductions for businesses and individuals, pay off debt, health care funding (an ongoing issue)...the rest will work itself out...yay for natural resources

Work hard, play harder!

By no means do I speak for Saskatchewan...I am simply an observer

[vid]

"New Saskatchewan"

They aren't gonna pull that "____'s new government" shit, are they?

[Ruckus]

Originally Posted by vid

"New Saskatchewan"

They aren't gonna pull that "____'s new government" shit, are they?

Maybe , is that bad?

Seems most newly elected governments adopt that position for a few weeks/months (how else will voters know, all politicians look/act the same ).

Perhaps I am naive, but I expect fewer political ploys with the SP (difficult to imagine a more excessive style of manipulation and fear than that of the fallen NDP).

[vid]

Well, Harper has been doing it for almost two years, now. It's pathetic.

[TSN]

Originally Posted by vid

Well, Harper has been doing it for almost two years, now. It's pathetic.

True, it doesn't matter about the party, they are all full of BS and spin things. Depending on one's political beliefs, some do it more than others.

If the Sask Party wants to make the province more business friendly, then that's OK. But hopefully they keep a balanced approach because in addition to having a favorable business/investment climate, a government is also responsible for social/environmental matters. The Alberta focus of sending 'favorable signals to investors' has resulted in some of the worst social/environmental indicators in North America, hopefully the SP has learned something from that. The success of a province isn't only based on GDP/capita, there's a balancing act.