The new Saskatchewan

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It really is good to live in Saskatchewan!

Last Wednesday, Brad Wall and the Saskatchewan Party released their provincial budget and with it, their latest campaign effort to remind people living here how good they have it. It’s easy to get brought down by the muddled and confused rhetoric of the NDP when it complains about something like homeless people or raising royalties, so a nice, crisp reminder of why Saskatchewan truly is an advantaged province is really helpful.

I mean, just look at the economy, which has been running hot based on exports of potash and oil. Those non-renewable resources are going to provide unlimited economic prosperity for Saskatchewan as far into the future as we can see. Our budget is going to post an impressive $54million surplus this year, while government spending is going to increase 4.5 per cent. Perhaps most impressively, the budget points out that, since gaining power, the Sask. Party has managed to knock 114,000 people out of the lowest tax bracket, ensuring that they don’t have to pay any provincial income taxes at all. It’s almost like Brad Wall loves Saskatchewan so much, he’s giving it away for free!

In such a prosperous province, everyone benefits. It’s clear that the nine-per-cent tuition hike that most students are going to experience next year is because so many of the youth in our province are rolling in cash. And even if students are not, their wealthy, middle-class parents certainly are. The New Saskatchewan is full of wealthy, middle-class people with disposable income.

And, along with the increase in tuition, we can eliminate frivolous tax credits for industries like film. I mean, why wouldn’t someone want to film in Saskatchewan with its glorious generic Prairie landscape and splendid ordinary cities? Our province is the envy of the nation economically – why wouldn’t anyone want to film here, even if they could get the same thing for cheaper in Alberta or Manitoba? Have you been to Manitoba lately? If there’s a province that smells of disadvantage, it’s Manitoba. No one would ever want to film there, right?

Not to mention that under the Sask. Party, we’ve elected more former Roughriders to office than at any other time in our history, with Gene Makowsky representing Regina Dewdney in the legislature. If you want to talk about an advantage, just consider the advantage we’re going to have when the Ontario Provincial Parliament challenges our legislature to a game of football. We’re going to totally crush them.

Things are just wonderful in Saskatchewan right now. Heck, I’m even tempted to say that the recent warm winter we experienced had something to do with electing Brad Wall last November. I can’t prove it using any budget figures or scientific numbers, but coincidences like that don’t just happen. I’ve thought as long and hard about that as the government did before ending the film tax credit.

There’s no doubt in my mind that Saskatchewan really does have an advantage over the other provinces in our country. And, if you aren’t embracing that advantage, maybe you should just catch the next bus to Alberta. Thanks, Brad!

Edward Dodd
Op-Ed Editor

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