Saturday, July 26, 2008

Sask. Party gov’t denies access to records for Ministers Norris & Gantefoer and DMs Young & Matthies; Stewart & Botting meet with contributors


The Saskatchewan Party government is denying access to records for Advanced Education, Employment and Labour Minister Rob Norris, Finance Minister Rod Gantefoer and their respective deputy minister’s Wynne Young and Doug Matthies.

An access to information request was submitted to the Ministry of Advanced Education, Employment and Labour on Mar. 14, 2008 for copies of “the daily appointment schedule, daily meeting schedule and telephone log book for Minister Rob Norris and Deputy Minister Wynne Young for the time period of December 1, 2007 to March 14, 2008, inclusive.”

The ministry received the request on Mar. 18, 2008.

In a letter dated Apr. 14, 2008 Deputy Minister Wynne Young advised that the 30 day response period was being extended an additional 30 days, pursuant to sections 12(1)(a)(ii), 12(1)(b), and 12(1)(c) of The Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act as “consultations that are necessary to comply with the application cannot reasonably be completed within the original period.”

Less than a month later, in a letter dated May 22, 2008, Young said the records requested for Norris and herself were being “denied pursuant to section 21 and subsection 29(1) of The Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act. The disclosure of the contents of these records could threaten the safety of the individuals referred to in the records, as mentioned in section 21. As well, the contents of the records are the personal information of the individuals referred to in the records, as defined in section 24, and are therefore subject to subsection 29(1).”

On May 1, 2008 a similar request was made to the Ministry of Finance for the daily calendar for Minister Rod Gantefoer and Deputy Minister Doug Matthies for the time period of December 1, 2007 to April 30, 2008.

Access to these records was denied in a letter from the ministry that was dated May 28, 2008:

“Access to the daily calendar for Minister Rod Gantefoer is denied since the records are not held by the Ministry of Finance, and are kept exclusively in the Minister’s Office. Under section 2(2) of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, ministers’ records held in this office do not fall under the definition of a “government institution,” and as such, are not subject to the Act.

“Access to the records you have requested described as “daily calendar” for Deputy Minister Doug Matthies is denied pursuant to section 21 and subsection 29(1) of The Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act. The disclosure of the contents of these records could threaten the safety of the individuals referred to in the records, as mentioned in section 21. As well, the contents of the records are the personal information of the individuals referred to in the records, as defined in section 24, and are therefore subject to subsection 29(1).”

Neither ministry bothered to explain how someone’s safety would be threatened if it was revealed that they met with either the Minister and/or Deputy Minister.

A request for review of both cases has been submitted to the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Saskatchewan.

An embarrassing twist to all this is that a similar request (dated Mar. 14, 2008) was made to the Ministry of Enterprise and Innovation (EI) for access to records regarding Minister Lyle Stewart and deputy minister Dale Botting was granted.

The ministry’s Apr. 15, 2008 letter states:

“For your information, the right to access provided by The Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (Act) under section 5 applies only to records in the possession or under the control of a government institution. Clause 2(1)(d) sets out the definition of “government institution”; however, subsection 2(2) excludes the “offices of members of the Assembly or members of the Executive Council” from that definition. Therefore, as our Ministry does not have the telephone log for the Honourable Lyle Stewart, that record(s) is not accessible under the Act.

“Our Ministry does, however, have access to Minister Stewart’s daily calendar and it is our intent to grant you copies of it, as well as Dale Botting’s calendar, with exempt information severed pursuant to section 8 of the Act. For your information, the exemptions that have been applied pursuant to the Act are:

“29(1) – personal information

“Some information has also been denied pursuant to subsection 27(1) of The Health Information Protection Act (HIPA) which states:

“A trustee shall not disclose personal health information in the custody or control of the trustee except with the consent of the subject individual or in accordance with this section, section 28 or section 29.

“For clarification and specifically with respect to the information being denied in the attached records, HIPA defines:

– “trustee” under subclause 2(t)(i) as “a government institution”; and

– “personal health information” under subclause 2(m)(ii) as “information with respect to any health service provided to the individual.”

“If you would like to see HIPA in its entirety, it is available on line at Justice’s Queen’s Printer website: www.qp.gov.sk.ca.

“I also wish to advise that the Ministry does not maintain a telephone log book for Dale Botting.”

It remains unclear why some ministries are willing to disclose this type of information while others prefer to keep it secret.

The following entries appear in Minister Lyle Stewart’s daily calendar and include a number of contributors to the Saskatchewan Party.

Dec. 3, 2007

Stuart Pollon – KPMG (10:00 a.m. to 11 a.m.)

[Pollon is a chartered accountant, certified public accountant and senior manager with KPMG in Regina. He has contributed approximately $8,935.87 to the Saskatchewan Party since 1998. He is the husband of Marilyn Braun-Pollon the Canadian Federation of Independent Business vice-president of Saskatchewan and Agri-Business. Leader-Post political columnist Murray Mandryk said in his July 4, 2008, column that Stuart Pollon is part of a group that has had a "profound influence" on Premier Brad Wall. Since 2001 KPMG Chartered Accountants and KPMG Management Services have contributed nearly $77,000 to the Saskatchewan Party.]

Dec. 5, 2007

Regina Chamber Breakfast – Mayor’s Annual Address (7:30 a.m. to 8:00 a.m.)

APAS Reception – Wascana Ballroom Room B (7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.)

[APAS is the Agricultural Producers Association of Saskatchewan.]

Dec. 6, 2007

Sk. Chamber Executive (Minister’s Office) (9:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.)

Treasury Board Meeting – Room 318 (10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.)

Sk. Chamber Christmas Dinner with Al & Dale (Batoche Room – Ramada Hotel) (5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.)

Dec. 7, 2007

Global Bid mtg with Warren Michelson – Moose Jaw (10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.)

Dec. 11, 2007

Jason Dearborn/Graham Parsons/Dean Gagne (Minister’s Office) (11:00 a.m. to 12:00 pm.)

[Dearborn was the Saskatchewan Party MLA for Kindersley from 2002-2007. Parsons is a Saskatchewan economist and Saskatchewan Party contributor. Some of his work has been published by the Saskatoon-based right wing think tank Prairie Policy Centre. Gagne is the CEO & President of Checkmate Strategic Planning Inc. which has contributed to the Saskatchewan Party. Gagne is also the vice president of Prairie Policy Centre.]

HTC PurEnergy Reception 10 Research Drive (5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.)

[HTC is a contributor to the Saskatchewan Party. HTC is a clean energy technology company that is commercializing CO2 Capture/Storage Technologies for Enhanced Oil Recovery (“EOR”) and geo-sequestration.]

Dec. 14, 2007

Tentative lunch with Dr. Schramm (12:00 p.m. to 1:15 p.m.)

[Laurier L. Schramm is the president and CEO of the Saskatchewan Research Council.]

Doug Tastad, President Innovation Place (Room 114-15 Innovation Blvd.) (1:15 p.m. to 2:15 p.m.)

Meet with First Nations (Saskatoon Club) (3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.)

Genome/Ag West Reception (4:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.)

Dec. 17, 2007

Paul Perasotto, Access Energy (Room 306) (3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.)

[Parisotto is the President and CEO of Access Energy Inc., a Toronto-based oil and gas exploration and development company.]

Dec. 18, 2007

REDA Working Group (Arlington Room – Travelodge) (11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.)

Dec. 19, 2007

Oil Sands Quest (Room 125) (3:15 p.m. to 4:45 p.m.)

[Oilsands Quest Inc. is a Calgary-based public company engaged in a variety of projects in the oil and gas industry in Western Canada with an emphasis on the oil sands.]

Dec. 20, 2007

James Leier, ENSASK Biofuels, Tisdale (Room 306) (2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.)

Jim Sinclair, Don Ross (3:30 p.m.)

Dec. 21, 2007

Grant Kook, Golden Opportunities (Room 340 Leg.) (10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.)

[Kook is the founder, Chief Executive Officer, Chairman, and Fund Manager of Golden Opportunities Fund, Saskatchewan's first and largest Provincial Labour-sponsored Investment Fund.]

Mayo Schmidt, Viterra/Minister Cheveldayoff – Room 340 (11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.)

[Mayo Schmidt is President and Chief Executive Officer, as well as a Director of Viterra.]

Jan. 7, 2008

Judy Dyck – Biofuels Council (10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.)

[Dyck is the president of the Saskatchewan Biofuels Development Council.]

Lionel LaBelle – Gardiner Dam/Al/Dion (Minister’s Office) (1:30 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.)

[LaBelle is the former president and CEO of Gardiner Dam Agri-Energy Ltd. In January 2007 LaBelle ran for the Saskatchewan Party nomination in the Saskatoon Meewasin constituency. He lost to Roger Parent. On Apr. 24, 2008, LaBelle was named president and CEO of Saskatchewan Trade & Export Partnership (STEP), succeeding Dale Botting who resigned from STEP in December 2007 after being appointed Deputy Minister of the Saskatchewan Ministry of Enterprise and Innovation.]

Jan. 8, 2008

Meyers Norris Penny – Craig Gates (Room 306) (10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.)

Jan. 9, 2008

Iogen meeting with Premier (Rm 25) (4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.)

[Iogen Corporation is a privately held Ottawa-based biotechnology firm. Major investors include the Royal Dutch/Shell Group, Petro-Canada and Goldman Sachs.]

Jan. 11, 2008

Speaking at the SCA AGM Supper (7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.)

Jan. 14, 2008

Doug Mcnare et al. (10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.)

[McNair is president of McNair Business Development Inc. a Regina-based firm involved in developing business concepts and economic development strategies, business and market feasibility studies, business strategies and plans, and business implementation plans.]

Jan. 15, 2008

Ken Zeigler – Robertson Stromberg (2:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.)

[Ziegler is past president of the Prairie Policy Centre and a contributor to the Saskatchewan Party. Ziegler is also past president of the Saskatoon and District Chamber of Commerce. Ziegler is a member of the North Saskatoon Business Association, the Saskatoon Regional Economic Development Authority, a representative member of Saskatchewan Trade and Export Partnership, and a former Director of the Saskatchewan Chamber of Commerce.]

Jan. 16, 2008

Alliance Pipeline (Room 131 Legislative Building) (10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.)

[Alliance Pipeline is a wholly owned natural gas transportation system. The Alliance concept is one of ownership of the pipeline system by a group of companies with interests in the energy business. Limited partners currently include affiliates of: Alliance Pipeline Limited Partnership owns the Canadian portion of the Alliance Pipeline system. Sponsors of Alliance Canada are affiliates of: Enbridge Income Fund (50%) and Fort Chicago Energy Partners L.P. (50%). Alliance Pipeline L.P. owns the U.S. portion of the Alliance Pipeline system. Sponsors of Alliance USA are affiliates of: Enbridge Inc. (50%) and Fort Chicago Energy Partners L.P. (50%). The corporate offices are located in Calgary, Alberta and Eden Prairie, Minnesota. Area offices in Saskatchewan include Kerrobert and Regina.]

Jan. 17, 2008

Regina Chamber of Commerce President’s Dinner (6:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.)

Jan. 18, 2008

Sask Livestock Assoc. Travelodge. (6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.)

Jan. 30, 2008

Vitera Victoria Ave, boardroom, 8th floor. (10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.)

Whitemud Resources Presentation (Room 218) (1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.)

[Whitemud Resources is a Calgary-based manufacturer and supplier of metakaolin for the North American concrete industry. The company contributed $2,317.28 to the Saskatchewan Party in 2007.]

Jan. 31, 2008

HTC Pure Energy Reception at the Diplomat (6:00 p.m. to 7 p.m.)

Feb. 4, 2008

Fran Malecha – Viterria will call (2:45 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.)

[Malecha is Viterra’s Chief Operating Officer overseeing the company’s Grain and Agri-Products businesses, Government and Commercial Relations.]

Feb. 5, 2008

RREDA & Minister Boyd (Room 131) (9:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.)

Mapleleaf Foods, Bob’s office. (12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.)

Feb. 6, 2008

Paul Hill/Garnet Garvin/Dale (Diplomat) (6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.)

[Hill is the president and CEO of Harvard Developments. The Hill family has contributed significantly to the Saskatchewan Party over the years. In 2007 various Hill companies made the following donations: Harvard Developments $1,509.71, Harvard Broadcasting $693.97, Harvard Property Management $528.26 and Western Surety Company $3,100. Garven is the deputy minister to the premier and cabinet secretary. He was the dean of business at the University of Regina when it was announced at a news conference on Nov. 1, 2007, that the Hill family had donated $10 million to the University of Regina school of business administration, which will be renamed the Paul J. Hill school of business. Hill sits on the boards of the business lobby group Canadian Council of Chief Executives and right wing think tanks C.D. Howe Institute and Fraser Institute. He is a past director of the Conference Board of Canada and the Asia Pacific Foundation.]

Feb. 11, 2008

Marilyn Braun-Pollon CFIB (Room 306) (10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.)

Potash Producers Association Dinner (Hotel Sask – Library) (5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.)

Feb. 12, 2008

Meeting with Premier and Hartley Richardson (Room 218) (12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m.)

[Richardson is the president and CEO of James Richardson & Sons Ltd., the family’s Winnipeg-based holding company. He serves as a director of Canadian Council of Chief Executives, and the Business Council of Manitoba. The Richardson family was listed in the November 30, 2007 issue of Canadian Business magazine as one of the wealthiest in Canada with a net worth of $2 billion. In 2007 the following Richardson companies donated to the Saskatchewan Party: Richardson Financial Group $5,000, James Richardson International (JRI) $10,000, Tundra Oil & Gas Ltd. $8,000 and Tundra Oil & Gas (Sask) Ltd. $2,000.]

CropLife Canada Reception (Lobby, Concourse Building IP) (5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.)

Private Room Chief Joseph/Minister Draude/Kathe Offet (8:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.)

Feb. 15, 2008

Areva (817 45th Street West) (10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.)

Cameco (2121-11th Street West front desk) (2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.)

[Cameco is one of the energy industry’s biggest contributors to the Saskatchewan Party. From 1999 to 2007 the world’s largest publicly traded uranium company donated approximately $44,467.30 to the party.]

Feb. 21, 2008

BizPal New Conference in North Battleford (10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.)

Minister Ritz (11:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.)

[Gerry Ritz is the Conservative MP for Battlefords-Lloydminster. He is also the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food and Minister for the Canadian Wheat Board. Over the last few years Ritz has donated approximately $1,061.66 to the Saskatchewan Party.]

REDAs (Gold Eagle Lodge) (11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.)

Town of Battleford (1:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.)

Battlefords Tribal Council (3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.)

Feb. 22, 2008

Gavin Semple (Room 306) (8:30 a.m. to 9:00 a.m.)

[Semple owns the Regina-based Brandt Group of Companies the largest privately held company in Saskatchewan with revenues approaching one billion dollars. According to annual returns filed by the Saskatchewan Party the Semple family and Brandt companies contributed over $205,000 to the party from 1998 to 2007. During the 2007 election donations totaling $3,900 went to the campaigns of Warren Michelson, Don Saelhof, Laura Ross and Christine Tell. On Feb. 29, 2008 the Wall government appointed Semple as the deputy chair and business representative of the new Enterprise Saskatchewan Board of Directors.]

Meeting with Lynda Haverstock (Room 306) (12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m.)

Malcolm Wilson & Henry Jaffe U of R (Room 306) (1:30 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.)

Transcanada Energy, my office. (2:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.)

[TransCanada Energy Ltd. is a wholly-owned subsidiary of TransCanada PipeLines Ltd., a leading North American energy company focused on natural gas transmission and power services. TransCanada PipeLines is one of the Saskatchewan Party’s biggest contributors in the energy industry. From 1999 to 2007 the company donated $46,830.31 to the party.]

Feb. 25, 2008

Sk. Mining Assoc. (Room 25) (12:30 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.)

Exec of the Heavy Oil Sub-Committee of NW Municipality Assoc. (Room 25) (3:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.)

Entrepreneurial Foundation Board of Directors (Diplomat – Private room) (6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.)

[The Entrepreneurial Foundation of Saskatchewan Inc. (EFS) is a non-profit organization formed to provide advisory services, training and mentorship to entrepreneurs seeking access to investment capital during the initial commercial start-up and expansion stages of their small businesses. The Board of the Foundation has representation from CIC, SaskCentral, the business community, entrepreneurs, the aboriginal community and academic institutions. The current board chair is Keith Brown, owner, founder and president of Trailtech Inc, which manufactures light commercial and industrial flat deck trailers. Since 2003 Trailtech has contributed $7,239.72 to the Saskatchewan Party.]

Feb. 27, 2008

Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters (Hotel Sask.) (7:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m.)

[CME is Canada’s largest trade and industry lobby group. Its membership is drawn from all sectors of Canada’s manufacturing and exporting community and from every province across the country. Its mission is “to continuously improve the competitiveness of Canadian industry and to expand export business.”]

Feb. 28, 2008

Swift Current Business Luncheon. speaker (12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m.)

Action Southwest (College Boardroom) (1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.)

Mar. 4, 2008

Sk. Dev Fund Brd (Room 318) (11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.)

Ron Styles/Janet Wightman/Cliff Baylak (4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.)

[Styles is the president and CEO of Crown Investments Corporation (CIC) of Saskatchewan.

Wightman was appointed president and CEO of Victoria Park Capital (VPC) in November 2006 after serving as president and CEO of Investment Saskatchewan (IS) since May 2004. VPC was created by IS in November 2006 to manage its private equity and venture capital investment portfolio. As the owner of the assets, IS has established the overriding mandate for VPC which serves as guidance for new investments. IS was created from Crown Investments Corp. Industrial Interests Inc. (CIC III) in 2003. According to the article Venture capital firm looks inside and outside province (Leader-Post, Dec. 4, 2006) financial editor Bruce Johnstone said, “The idea behind Investment Saskatchewan was to have an “arm’s length relationship” with government, free from political influence and interference.”

Baylak is the managing director of Investment Saskatchewan.

“We don’t believe in the government making investments,” said Lyle Stewart the minister responsible for Investment Saskatchewan in Gov’t weighing options on provincial investments (Leader-Post, Feb 9, 2008). “It hasn’t been a particularly successful strategy you have to admit over the last 60 years.” Yet he went on to admit that the government’s investing had improved since the creation of Investment Saskatchewan.

In Pondering changes to Crown investing (Leader-Post, Apr. 29, 2008) Stewart said he has asked the Crown corporation’s new board for a thorough examination of Investment Saskatchewan and its contract with investment managers Victoria Park Capital. He said the review would look into Investment Saskatchewan’s mandate as well as the administrative costs and transparency of its contracted-out operations. So much for no political influence and interference.]

Mar. 6, 2008

Jason Deerborn (Hotel Sk.) (8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.)

Mar. 7, 2008

Mosaic – Norm Beug (Room 306) (10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.)

[Beug is the senior vice-president of potash operations for the Mosaic Company. Mosaic is a crop nutrient company involved in the production of potash, phosphates and nitrogen. The company’s primary Saskatchewan business is potash. The Mosaic Company was created in 2004 through a merger between IMC Global Inc. and Cargill Crop Nutrition. Mosaic owns 50 per cent of Saskferco Products Inc. The government, through Investment Saskatchewan has a 49 per cent stake in the company, and Citibank owns one per cent.

On June 20, 2008 Mosaic and Investment Saskatchewan put Saskferco up for sale. The Saskatchewan Party has never been supportive of Investment Saskatchewan, which was created in 2003 by the previous NDP government to put the province’s investment portfolio and its management under an arms-length board. While Investment Saskatchewan remains as the Crown corporation that actually owns the investments, the management of the portfolio was contracted out by the NDP government in 2006 to a private company formed by former Investment Saskatchewan employees, Victoria Park Capital.

The Saskatchewan Party has never seemed supportive of Victoria Park Capital either.

In Province to estimate investment value (Leader-Post, Apr. 24, 2008) Enterprise and Innovation Minister Lyle Stewart confirmed to reporters that an investment bank has been hired by the private company, Victoria Park Capital, that manages the government’s investment in SaskFerco to value the company at Belle Plaine. In Investment Saskatchewan, Mosaic Co. selling Saskferco Products (StarPhoenix, June 20, 2008) Stewart said “there is no longer any reason for the government to retain its minority ownership position.” The article went on the note that “The Saskatchewan Party government has made no secret of wanting to halt investments of public money into private companies.” So from Mar. 4 to Mar. 7 it appears Stewart had met with all the main players. The question is just how much political meddling has there been on this file?
]

Mar. 10, 2008

JRI/Louis Dreyfuss in Minister Bjornrud’s Office (9:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.)

[JRI is James Richardson International. It is the largest subsidiary of James Richardson & Sons, Limited, a privately owned corporation that has been family controlled for five generations. For nearly 150 years, the Richardson name has been synonymous with the international grain industry. The corporate head office is located in Winnipeg.

Louis Dreyfus Canada Ltd. is headquartered in Calgary, and is part of the worldwide Louis Dreyfus Group, with a 67-year presence in Canada as a major exporter of Canadian grains and oilseeds.

On Sept. 7, 2006 JRI announced plans for a $100-million canola crushing plant in Yorkton. That same day Louis Dreyfus Canada said Yorkton will be home to its $90- million canola crushing facility.]

Mar. 11, 2008

World Heavy Oil, Edmonton. Must be there for this day (8:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m.)

World Heavy Oil Congress Business Panel Session (9:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.)

Mar. 14, 2008

Ron Styles re Investment Sk. (11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.)

RREDA Meeting (Room 306) (3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.)

The following entries appear in Deputy Minister Dale Botting’s daily calendar. Additional information, which appears in italics, has been added by the author.

Dec. 10, 2007

Lunch with Larry Hiles (Lakeshore Restaurant) (12:00 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.)

[Hiles is the president and CEO of Regina Regional Economic Development Authority (RREDA). Prior to this he served as chief financial officer for Doepker Industries Ltd. and was president of the Saskatchewan Chamber of Commerce.]

Dec. 11, 2007

Breakfast meeting with Marilyn Braun Pollon (Hotel Saskatchewan) (7:45 a.m. to 9:00 a.m.)

[Braun-Pollon took over as the CFIB’s new director of provincial affairs in July 1997 from Dale Botting, who left the CFIB in late 1996. The Saskatchewan Party and the CFIB are close. In a March 31, 2004 letter to Braun-Pollon shortly after being acclaimed as party leader Brad Wall said “My party has had a very good relationship with your organization through the years and that will absolutely not change under my leadership. The position the CFIB puts forward, for the most, reflect our own.” The appointment of Botting as deputy minister of Enterprise and Innovation appears to have kept that promise.]

Meeting with Minister, Al Nicholson, Jason Dearborn, Graham Parson & Dean Gagne from Checkmate Research (Room 306 Leg) (11:15 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.)

[Nicholson is Minister Stewart’s chief of staff. Dearborn was the Saskatchewan Party MLA for Kindersley from 2002-2007. Parsons is a Saskatchewan economist and Saskatchewan Party contributor. Some of his work has been published by the Saskatoon-based right-wing think tank Prairie Policy Centre. Gagne is the president & CEO of Checkmate Strategic Planning Inc., which has contributed to the Saskatchewan Party. Gagne is the vice president of Prairie Policy Centre.

Dearborn and Gagne also work with Arcas Issues Management. Arcas is a strategic, full service consulting and research firm located in Regina. According to its website Dearborn is the Chief Knowledge Officer and Gagne the Chief Strategy Officer. The company appears to be connected with Arcas Group Inc., which has contributed to the Saskatchewan Party.
]

HTC Pure Energy (Innovation Place 10 Research Drive (The Terrace) (5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.)

Doug Campbell, Johnathan Warnick (reservations under Johnathan’s) (6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.)

Dec. 12, 2007

Breakfast on the Frontier with Doug Campbell (Diefenbaker Room, Regina Inn, 1975 Broad Street, Regina) (7:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.)

Oil Sands Presentation (Delta Regina – Umbria Room) (12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m.)

Minister, Dale, Al to meet with Doug Campbell – RE: Inland Port (Room 306) (2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.)

[Campbell is the Calgary-based CEO of Prairie-to-Gateway and Inland Port. The “Prairie Gateway” is a virtual combination of services and a cluster of numerous transportation, distribution and assembly players working and investing together. It will be anchored by “connecting” the three major cities of Saskatoon, Moose Jaw and Regina.

This is part of a plan called CISCOR, which stands for “Canadian Intelligent Super Corridor”, which is a national east-west transportation corridor from Vancouver and Prince Rupert to Montreal and Halifax. The Saskatchewan-based CISCOR Smart Inland Port Network will serve as the central logistics and coordination hub, creating a Canadian east-west land bridge which connects with three major North American north-south corridors; North Americas SuperCorridor (NASCO), Canada America Mexico Corridor (CANAMEX) and River of Trade Corridor Coalition (ROTCC).

The CISCOR network is comprised of five organizations: Saskatchewan Agrivision Corporation Inc., Saskatchewan Trade and Export Partnership, Regina Regional Economic Development Authority, Moose Jaw Regional Economic Development Authority and the Saskatoon Regional Economic Development Authority.

A report administered by Saskatchewan Agrivision Corporation called Canadian Intelligent Super Corridor - Smart Inland Port Network (Jan. 2007) confirmed the existence of the NAFTA Superhighway mentioning it by name and identifying it as Interstate-35. The report notes that Saskatchewan is “centrally linked to the CANAMEX transportation corridor and NAFTA Superhighway connecting Canada, the U.S. and Mexico. These highways essentially provide for the inter-regional, inter-provincial and international movement of goods and people.”

This stuff is connected to the Security and Prosperity Partnership of North America (SPP) that is being pushed by the business elite through powerful lobby groups such as the Canadian Council of Chief Executives, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the Council of the Americas.

Campbell was in Regina on Dec. 12, 2007, to give a presentation on the gateway dream that was hosted by the Winnipeg-based right-wing think tank Frontier Centre for Public Policy. The event was held in the Diefenbaker Room at the Regina Inn, which Dale Botting attended.]

Gerry Offet – Inland Port (Room 306) (4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.)

[Offet is the President of Initiatives Prince George. Initiatives Prince George is the economic development arm of the City of Prince George. Offet has served as senior vice-president of Saskatchewan Economic Development Corporation, he was CEO of Development Fund, a Manitoba Crown corporation; and was the assistant deputy minister in Manitoba’s department of intergovernmental affairs, where he was responsible for economic development in rural and northern Manitoba.]

Dec. 13, 2007

Jim Ireland (West Harvest Inn) (7:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m.)

Canadian Fertilizer Institute – Minister, Al, Dale, Debbie Wilkie (Room 306 Leg) (10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.)

[Listed in the Feb. 25, 2008 edition of The Hill Times, an independently-owned newsweekly based in Ottawa, as one of the Top 100 lobbyists the Canadian Fertilizer Institute represents fertilizer manufacturers and distributors. It is registered to lobby on the Canada Transportation Act; the Canada food safety inspection legislation; regulations on the transportation of dangerous goods; the Canadian Environmental Protection Act; climate change and agriculture policy; and labour codes, among other initiatives and policies.]

Dec. 14, 2007

Ravi Maithel President & CEO (302 111 Research Drive – Atrium Bldg) (9:00 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.)

[Maithel is the president & CEO of CLEVOR Technologies Inc. a Saskatoon-based company that develops and markets Schedule Optimizers for construction companies, professional services companies and manufacturers. Maithel is a director of the Saskatchewan Advanced Technology Association (SATA) and also with the right-wing think tank Prairie Policy Centre.]

Laurie Schramm, SRC and Minister, Al, & Chrystal Smutty (Boffins) (12:00 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.)

Meet and Greet with Doug Tastad, President of Innovation Place (Room 114) (1:30 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.)

Guy Lonechild, Rick Gamble, Dale, Minister, Al, (Saskatoon Club, 417 – 21st St East) (3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.)

Dec. 17, 2007

Meeting with George Christidis, Vice President, Global Public Affairs (TBD(The Chimney??)) (6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.)

[Global Public Affairs is a public policy and government relations firm with offices in Ottawa and Toronto. It is also a contributor to the Saskatchewan Party. According to the firm’s website Christidis “provides Global clients with an exceptional understanding of government decision making having served the senior levels of government at both the political and departmental level.” He apparently has experience “leading successful government relations initiatives, providing strategic counsel to leading Canadian companies, key trade associations, industry coalitions as well as universities and economic development agencies.”]

Dec. 18, 2007

Ken Ziegler (My Office) (5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.)

[Ziegler is a lawyer with Robertson Stromberg Pederson in Saskatoon, one of the largest law firms in Saskatchewan. Saskatchewan Party financial records filed with Elections Saskatchewan show that since 2002 Ziegler has contributed $1,841.42 to the party. Ziegler is a past president of the Saskatoon and District Chamber of Commerce and the right-wing think tank Prairie Policy Centre. Ziegler is also a member of the North Saskatoon Business Association, the Saskatoon Regional Economic Development Authority, a representative member of Saskatchewan Trade and Export Partnership, and a former Director of the Saskatchewan Chamber of Commerce.]

Dec. 19, 2007

Breakfast with University – Dr. Richard Florizone, VP of Fiance & Mr. Barber VP (Boffins Club) (8:00 a.m. to 9:15 a.m.)

[Boffins is a private members club located at Innovation Place in Saskatoon.]

Business Leaders – Shirlye Ryan NSBA, Kent Smith Windsor, S’toon Chamber of Commerce, Al Mignault, SREDA, Alan Thomorat, SK Home Builders Association, Ron Kehrigm, Ag West (9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.)

[Shirley Ryan is the executive director of the North Saskatoon Business Association. Ryan contributed $626.91 to the Saskatchewan Party in 2007, $292.53 in 2006 and $296.73 in 2004.

Kent Smith-Windsor is the Executive Director of the Greater Saskatoon and District Chamber of Commerce. The chamber contributed $294.40 to the Saskatchewan Party in 2003.

Alan Thomorat is the CEO of the Saskatoon & Region Home Builders’ Association. The lobby group has contributed over $4,200 to the Saskatchewan Party since 2003.

Ron Kehrig is vice president of BioFuels and BioProducts at
Ag-West Bio Inc.

Alan Migneault is the CEO of Saskatoon Regional Economic Development Authority Inc. Dale Botting was the SREDA CEO from April 2000 to June 2003.]

STEP Quarterly Board Meeting – Presentation confirmed at 10:45 a.m. (Saskatoon Club) (10:45 a.m. to 11:15 a.m.)

Meeting with Verona Thibault (Dale’s office – Regina) (2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.)

[Thibault is the executive director of the Saskatchewan Economic Development Association.]

Bill Madder – Saskatchewan REALTORS® (ASR) – General discussion on ES (200-3085 Albert Street Bill in Regina all Day wants to meet here) (4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.)

[Madder is executive vice president of the Association of Saskatchewan REALTORS®. The ASR is the primary lobby group for organized real estate in Saskatchewan. One of its objectives is to promote every citizen’s (individual and corporate) right to the ownership of private property.]

Dec. 21, 2007

Meeting w/Laurent Mougeot SUMA (Dale’s Office) (8:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.)

Meeting w/Ken Engel SARM (Dale’s Office) (10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.)

CO2 Meeting Confirmed – Jim Tompkins, Dave Gauthier and Ian Bailey of the University of Regina (U of R, Ad Hum Building, Room 514.) (3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.)

Jan. 9, 2008

Transition Team Meeting (Room 209 3085 Albert Street) (1:00 p.m. to 2:45 p.m.)

Jan. 10, 2008

U of S/Energy Stakeholders – Tom Porter, Dr. Pugsley (200 3085 Albert Street) (1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.)

HR Planning for Enterprise Saskatchewan (200 – 3085 Albert Street) (3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.)

Jan. 11, 2008

Grant Cook (Sheraton Cavalier) (7:30 a.m. to 9:00 a.m.)

[On Jan. 25, 2008, the Saskatchewan Party government named Kook as the new chair of SaskTel. Kook is the President, Chief Executive Officer and a Director of Westcap Mgt. Ltd. and is also Chairman and CEO of Golden Opportunities Fund, one of Saskatchewan’s leading labor-sponsored investment funds with more than 15,000 retail shareholders. He is also President of Cheung On Investments Group Ltd., an international investor syndicated fund.

In question period on May 13, 2008, NDP MLA Deb Higgins questioned whether the Sask. Party’s appointee as chair of SaskTel’s board, Grant Kook, had a conflict-of-interest in connection with jump.ca.

Kook is the founder and chair of the Golden Opportunities Investment Fund, a labour-sponsored investment fund that, according to Higgins, owns $2 million shares in jump.ca.

Higgins said if SaskTel increases its dealings with jump.ca, that could financially benefit the investment fund and create the appearance of a conflict of interest.

Higgins also indicated that according to the April 20, 2007 public disclosure statement, the minister responsible for the Crown [Ken Cheveldayoff] holds investments in the Golden Opportunities Fund. Cheveldayoff said “there is no conflict of interest, perceived or otherwise, in regards to those funds.”]

Robert Morgan – POS Pilot Plant Corp (118 Veterinary Road, Saskatoon) (10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.)

Lunch Meeting with Jim Hutch (Boffins) (12:00 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.)

[Hutch is president of Hutchtech Inc., an engineering consulting firm. He is a director of Teras Resources Inc. Hutch served on the board of directors of Goldcorp Inc. from 1998 to 2004. He is a past President, Chief Executive Officer and Chair of the Saskatchewan Research Council. Hutch appears to have contributed $1,100 to the Saskatchewan Party in the last two years.]

Shankar Das – Biosens Technologies ((Dale’s Office) 206-15 Innovation Blvd.) (4:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.)

Jan. 14, 2008

TransCanada Energy – John Jenkins & communications person, Rick Musleh (Dale’s Office) (5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.)

[Jenkins is project manager for TransCanada’s proposed $4.1 billion Belle Plaine polygeneration facility. TransCanada Energy, a subsidiary of TransCanada Corporation, specializes in the transport of natural gas and the production of energy. TransCanada PipeLines of Calgary is one of the Saskatchewan Party’s biggest contributors in the energy industry. Since 1999 it has donated $46,830.31 to the party.]

Garnet Garven (Greckos) (7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.)

[Garven is the deputy minister to the premier and cabinet secretary. Prior to his appointment on Nov. 9, 2007 he was the dean of business at the University of Regina. Garven served on Premier Brad Wall’s transition team.]

Jan. 15, 2008

Global Public Affairs VP Lorraine Royer (Alliance pipeline is one of their customers) See email below (8:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.)

Meet with CFIB – Laura Jones, Vice president of Western Canada (Dale’s Office) (9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.)

Peter Wyant – CIC (LaBodega – 2228 Albert Street) (12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m.)

Meeting w/Pat Youzwa Sask Power (2025 Victoria AveSask Power bldg) (1:30 a.m. to 2:30 a.m.)

[Youzwa is the SaskPower president and CEO.]

Rick Mantey (My Office) (3:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.)

[Mantey is Deputy Cabinet Secretary and Clerk of the Executive Council.]

Randy Thompson – Argon (Hotel Sask Lounge) (5:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.)

[Argon Venture Partners is a cross-border early-stage venture capital firm based in Silicon Valley, California, and Alberta, Canada. Thompson is Argon’s General Partner in its Western Canada office, based in Calgary.]

Jan. 16, 2008

Consul General of the U.S. (Hotel Sask) (8:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m.)

Updated: Alliance Pipeline (Room 131 Legislative Building) (10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.)

Dale, Steve McLellan CEO, Dave Duechak, President – Saskatchewan Chamber of Commerce Re: ES (Room 200 3085 Albert Street) (4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.)

[McLellan was named the chamber’s new CEO on July 19, 2007. Prior to that McLellan served as executive director of Tourism Regina since 1997. Before that, he was the executive director of the Tourism Industry Association of Saskatchewan (TISASK) in Saskatoon. He also served for six years on the Regina Airport Authority board. McLellan succeeded Mary Ann McFadyen, who retired after a four-decade career with the chamber. Dave Dutchak is the chamber’s Immediate Past-President. He is the president and CEO of M.D. Ambulance Care Ltd. in Saskatoon. M.D. Ambulance donated $1,255.28 to the Saskatchewan Party in 2007 and Duthchak’s M.P.D. Holdings Ltd. contributed $12,600, with $3,500 going to Saskatoon Southeast candidate Don Morgan’s campaign.]

Dinner with the Consul General – Dale, Al Hilton, Allan Koch, Glen Veikle (Willow on Wascana) (5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.)

Jan. 17, 2008

Dr. Bob McCulloch, President SIAST (200 – 3085 Albert Street) (10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.)

Co-op Advisory Council Meeting (Jade Room West Harvest Inn) (12:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.)

Gala, Dinner 7:15 Regina Chamber of Commerce Presidents Dinner with Minister Stewart (Delta Regina Hotel Tuscany Room) (6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.)

Jan. 18, 2008

Meet with Ron Styles (Ron’s Office – 2400 college ave 4th floor) (9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.)

Briefing with Minister Stewart, Dale, Rick Musleh, Jim Baker RE: Polygen Project & Blair Swystun (Room 125 Leg) (1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.)

[TransCanada’s proposed $4.1 billion polygeneration facility would be located at Belle Plaine. Lyle Stewart is the MLA for the region. Swystun is Vice President and Chief Financial Officer for Crown Investments Corporation of Saskatchewan.]

Jan. 22, 2008

SATA Board Meeting – RE: ES (1/2 hr speaking) (Saskatoon – Innovation Place Concourse Bldg – TR Labs) (9:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.)

Jan. 23, 2008

All REDA Meeting (12:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.)

SYPE Dinner with Ralph Klein (TCU Place) (6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.)

Jan. 25, 2008

Michael Fouglere (West Harvest Inn) (7:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m.)

[Fougere is a Regina city councillor, and is the president of the Saskatchewan Construction Association.]

Susan Gorges – Springboard West (Room 200 – 3085 Albert St.) (9:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.)

[Gorges is the CEO of SpringBoard West Innovations Inc., a Regina-based non-profit organization that helps researchers, industry and entrepreneurs take their ideas from the lab to the marketplace and increase technology commercialization in Saskatchewan.]

Lunch with Larry Hiles (Zest) (12:00 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.)

Meet with Larry Hubich (SFL) (Dale’s Office) (2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.)

Jan. 29, 2008

Teleconference – TransCanada (My Office) (3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.)

Jan. 30, 2008

Jeff Passmore – IOGEN Corp (Ottawa) (Will Call You) (9:45 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.)

[Passmore is Iogen’s executive vice-president. He is responsible for new market and business development (Canada, the U.S. and Europe), public and media affairs, and government relations for Iogen’s cellulose ethanol technology.]

Lunch with Danny Fenell – (Skara) (11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.)

[Fennell is the post deputy principal officer with the United States consulate in Calgary.]

Jan. 31, 2008

Saskatchewan Labour Market Commission – Derek Murray, Holly Hetherington, Larry Hubich, Hugh Wagner, (Randall Morris will call in) (Dale’s Office) (9:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.)

Mr. Gay Patrick, SK. Potash Producers (Call into Gay regarding time change to 10:30 – waiting on confirmation SL Jan 30 at 11:30) (200, 3085 Albert Street) (10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.)

[Patrick is the executive director of the Saskatchewan Potash Producers Association.]

Gavin Semple (Pinkey Road South, Dewdney) (12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m.)

Pam Schwann, SK Mining Association (200, 3085 Albert Street) (2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.)

[Schwann is the executive director of the Saskatchewan Mining Association (SMA).]

Robert Zhao (Tim Horton’s – South Albert) (6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.)

[Zhao is a co-founder of International Science and Technology Development Centre (ISTDC). Based in Regina, ISTDC provides investment consulting, business valuation, and international trade services between Canada and China.]

Feb. 1, 2008

Al Scholz – phone meeting (Al will phone Dale at 8:30 a.m.) (8:30 a.m. to 9:00 a.m.)

[Scholz is president of Saskatoon-based A.N. Scholz & Associates Inc. He has been active in Canada’s agriculture and food industry for 25 years as a management consultant, business owner, author and a speaker at conferences, seminars and training sessions. He served three terms with the Saskatoon & District Chamber of Commerce and served two terms on the Senate of the University of Saskatchewan.]

Feb. 2, 2008

Meet with Ifor-Ffowcs-Williams (Cluster Training Facilitator) (Saskatoon – AROMA Restaurant at Radisson Reservations confirm under Dale Botting) (11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.)

[Ifor Ffowcs-Williams is the CEO of Cluster Navigators Ltd. in Nelson, New Zealand, a niche economic development consultancy, taking a cluster approach to the nurturing and upgrading of competitiveness agendas. The company services clients on five continents.]

Feb. 4, 2008

Meeting with CIC & SK Power – RE Polygen (Dale’s Office) (10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.)

Mike Lothian (Skara) (5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.)

Feb. 5, 2008

Breakfast with John Jenkins, TransCanada (Derek and Rick to verify) (8:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m.)

[TransCanada PipeLines Limited has contributed approximately $46,830.31 to the Saskatchewan Party since 1999.]

Alliance Pipeline (10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.)

Baytex (Lunch – tba) (11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.)

[Baytex Energy Ltd. is a subsidiary of Baytex Energy Trust, a Calgary based energy income trust engaged in the exploration and production of oil and natural gas in the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin. Baytex has contributed approximately $3,500 to the Saskatchewan Party.]

Pearl Energy (1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.)

Feb. 6, 2008

Dinner with Paul Hill/Garnet Garvin/Minister Stewart (Diplomat) (6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.)

Feb. 7, 2008

Jason Dearborn, Graham Parsons (??) (Dale’s Office) (9:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.)

Dale – Nick Diamond (Dale’s Office – 200 3085 Albert Street) (11:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.)

[Diamond is an investment attraction specialist in the Ministry of Enterprise and Innovation. He was manager, Asia Pacific Region with Saskatchewan Trade and Export Partnership. Botting was president & CEO of STEP.]

Feb. 8, 2008

Breakfast Meeting – Dale, Alan Migneault SREDA et al (Saskatoon Club (Diedrie to book)) (7:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m.)

Meeting SHEC Officials – Dale, Tom Beck, President and CEO/Tour (SHCE Facility Saskatoon) (1:30 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.)

[Beck founded Solar Hydrogen Energy Corporation (SHEC Labs) in 1996 as a company doing research in the production of hydrogen using solar technology.]

Dale – Meet & Greet with Prairie Genome – Jerome Konecsni (President & CEO) Lisa Jategaonker (MOVING TO FEB 15) (206-15 Innovation Blvd) (3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.)

[Genome Prairie is a not-for-profit organization supporting and managing large-scale genomics and proteomics research projects in the provinces of Saskatchewan and Manitoba. Focused applications include agriculture, animal health, and human health.]

Feb. 9, 2008

Meeting w/ Vern Bachiu & Larry Hubick (Saskatoon Inn) (12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m.)

[Bachiu is the Principal of Triall Consulting and general manager, Meadow Lake Tribal Council (MLTC). He is president & CEO of the Saskatchewan Labour Market Commission. Hubich is president of the Saskatchewan Federal of Labour and co-chair of the SLMC.]

Feb. 11, 2008

Marilyn Braun-Pollon CFIB (Room 306) (10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.)

Feb. 12, 2008

TR Labs – Roger Pederson, Dale (Dale’s Office 200 3085 Albert St) (11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.)

[Pederson is president & CEO of TRLabs, an Edmonton based information and communications technology (ICT) research and development consortium with offices in Calgary, Regina, Saskatoon and Winnipeg.]

Feb. 14, 2008

Dave Miller – Assistant Vice President CN (West Harvest Inn) (7:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m.)

Feb. 15, 2008

Chief Darcy Bear and Minister Stewart – Four Winds Project etc (Saskatoon Inn – Botanica) (9:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.)

Areva (817 – 45th Street West) (10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.)

Cameco (2:30 p.m. 3:30 p.m.)

Feb. 19, 2008

Lynda Haverstock discussion on new Tourism Sector Team (DB’s office) (3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.)

Feb. 20, 2008

Meeting w/Alliance Pipeline (Dale’s office) (11:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.)

Barb Cox Lloyd – BMI (Dale’s Office) (2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.)

[Cox-Lloyd is the executive director of the Business Mentorship Institute of Saskatchewan Inc. (BMI).]

Colin Hindle – Western Nuclear Energy Research Group Inc. (Dale’s Office) (4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.)

[Hindle appears to be with the Faculty of Business Administration at the University of Regina. Western Nuclear Energy Research Group Inc. (WNERG) was incorporated on Mar. 14, 2007. According to a report by the Regina & District Chamber of Commerce Investment and Growth Committee, WNERG is “a non-profit corporation working in collaboration with the University of Regina, which aims to define and support relevant research projects mounted in universities and other research institutions throughout western Canada. This start-up research enterprise is now in the process of raising the required capital. The Saskatchewan, Regina and Saskatoon Chambers, as well as other publicly spirited organizations in the private sector, have already helped contribute seed money to help this group raise the required initial funding of $ 1.5 million.”]

Feb. 22, 2008

Updated: Meeting with Lynda Haverstock (Room 306) (12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m.)

SLMC Board Meeting (SK Chamber of Commerce Office) (1:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.)

John Jenkins (4:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.)

Feb. 25, 2008

Lunch with Larry Hiles (TBD) (12:00 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.)

Feb. 27, 2008

Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters (Hotel Sask.) (7:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m.)

Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters – Dale and Brian Only (Hotel SK) (8:30 a.m. to 9:00 a.m.)

Mar. 3, 2008

Breakfast at Westin with Don Kjosness – Chairman of WiTec (Calgary – Westin Hotel) (8:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m.)

[Kjosness is Chair of WiTec Alberta, a not-for-profit organization providing linkage, leverage, focus and support to Alberta’s well developed and growing wireless and telecom sector.]

Randy Carson, Senior Director, SNC-Lavalin Pro-Fac Inc. (Calgary Westin) (12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m.)

[SNC-Lavalin is a Montreal-based world leader in a number of sectors such as agrifood, aluminum, biopharmaceuticals, chemicals and petroleum, the environment, facilities and operations management, infrastructure, mass transit, mining and metallurgy and power.]

John Jenkins AND Geoff Murray at TransCanada Energy corporation (450 1ST Street S.W. Calgary) (1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.)

Mar. 4, 2008

Presentation – Banff Centre (107 Tunnel Mountain Road, Max Bell Building, Room 252) (9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.)

Mar. 5, 2008

FOI Request – Dale & Verna (Dale’s Office) (8:30 a.m. to 9:00 a.m.)

Dinner with Garnet Garvin (TBD) (5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.)

[Garven is the deputy minister to the premier and cabinet secretary.]

Mar. 6, 2008

Trans Canada Open House (Hotel Saskatchewan) (4:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.)

Mar. 7, 2008

Communities of Tomorrow Board Meeting (S’toon – Western Economic Diversification – Main Boardroom 6th Floor, 119-4th Ave South Saskatoon) (7:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.)

David James & Pat Perry, Randy Winnitowy, Clinton Lawrence Whyte, Denis Haas (WD) (Dale’s Boardroom Saskatoon) (1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.)

Bill Tomlinson – CLS (Dale’s Office – Saskatoon) (2:45 p.m. to 3:45 p.m.)

Mar. 12, 2008

Eric Bernsten and Bob Baird (Dale’s Office) (11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.)

[Eric Berntson was Deputy Premier in the Devine government. In 1999, Berntson was convicted of illegally diverting government allowances between 1987 and 1991 when he was Saskatchewan’s deputy premier. He was sentenced to one year in prison. Berntson resigned from the Senate on February 27, 2001 after the Supreme Court of Canada dismissed his attempt to overturn his fraud conviction.]

Mar. 14, 2008

Graham Parsons (Alanna’s office) (10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.)

Thursday, July 24, 2008

The ties that bind: Saskatchewan Party & Conservative Party of Canada; MLAs and MPs swap donations


“There are no ties between the Saskatchewan Party and the Conservative government. We are completely independent of each other.”
Nancy Heppner, Saskatchewan Party candidate for Martensville and former Harper communication strategist, StarPhoenix, Oct. 18, 2007

“I’m supporting Conservative candidate David Anderson (Cypress Hills-Grasslands).”
Saskatchewan Party Leader Brad Wall, StarPhoenix, June 5, 2004
A fine piece of detective work by reporter James Wood in the July 23 StarPhoenix should hopefully, but not likely, put to rest the Saskatchewan Party’s contention that there are no ties between it and the federal Conservatives.

Using public disclosure documents that are filed with the clerk of the legislative assembly by the province’s conflict-of-interest commissioner, Wood discovered that of the Saskatchewan Party’s 36-member caucus 11 MLAs are members of the Conservative Party of Canada.

The list includes Crown Corporations Minister Ken Cheveldayoff, Highways, Infrastructure Minister Wayne Elhard, Enterprise and Innovation Minister Lyle Stewart, Tourism, Parks, Culture and Sport Minister Christine Tell and Justice Minister Don Morgan, who recently announced the government would drop the constitutional challenge against Ottawa that was sparked by the Conservatives’ broken campaign promise on equalization.

Backbench MLAs who are Conservative Party members are Michael Chisholm, Greg Ottenbreit, Jim Reiter, Laura Ross, Randy Weekes and Jeremy Harrison, who was the Tory MP for Desnethe-Missinippi-Churchill River from 2004 to 2006. [Eleven Sask. Party MLAs card-carrying Tories: documents (StarPhoenix, July 23, 2008)]

Campaign returns of candidates in an election and financial returns of registered political parties are also good sources of information to establish these kinds of links.

Financial statements filed with Elections Canada show that a number of current Saskatchewan Party MLAs have donated to federal candidates that are now Conservative MPs:

Ken Cheveldayoff, $500 to Brad Trost in Dec. 2005.

Michael Chisholm, $400 to Gerry Ritz in Jan. 2006; and $400 to Ritz in June 2004.

Glen Hart, $250 to Andrew Scheer in Jan. 2006.

Jeremy Harrison, $1,250 to himself in Jan. 2005.

Delwood “Yogi” Huyghebaert, $500 to Dave Batters in Dec. 2005.

Donald Morgan, $1,000 to Carol Skelton in Jan. 2006.

Jim Reiter, $250 to Carol Skelton in Dec. 2005.

Lyle Stewart, $250 to Dave Batters in Jan. 2006; and $250 to Batters in June 2004.

Gregory Brkich, $250 to Lynne Yelich in June 2004.

Wayne Elhard, $250 to David Anderson (Canadian Alliance) during the 2000 Canadian federal election.

Former Tory MP Jeremy Harrison joined the Reform Party in 1996 and served in numerous positions, from riding official to national councillor, and worked on Stephen Harper’s first and second leadership campaigns. [The Hill Times, Jul. 26-Aug. 1, 2004]

Saskatchewan Party financial statements filed with Elections Saskatchewan show that since 1999 seven of Saskatchewan’s current 13 Conservative MPs have contributed more than $13,000 to the party with Carol Skelton and Lynne Yelich leading the way with donations totaling $4,601.24 and $3,293.46 respectively.

Skelton was on the Saskatchewan Party’s executive and served on former Opposition leader Elwin Hermanson’s constituency association. Yelich worked for Conservative Allan Kerpan while he served as MP and received $300 funding from the MLA in the 2006 federal election.

Other MPs contributing to the Saskatchewan Party include: Dave Batters – $1,010, Tom Lukiwski – $1,689.75, Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz – $1,061.66, Andrew Scheer – $500, and Brad Trost – $900.

Lukiwski was General Manager of the Saskatchewan Party from 1997 until 2004. Dave Batters’ wife, Denise, is currently Justice Minister Don Morgan’s chief of staff.

A number of senior Saskatchewan Party government and party staff appear to be Conservative Party of Canada supporters as well.

Ron Dedman, the associate deputy minister of executive resourcing to executive council, contributed $600 to Tom Lukiwski in Jan. 2006; and $576 to the Regina--Lumsden--Lake Centre Conservative Association in Jan. 2007.

Reg Downs, the senior advisor to the premier, donated $400 to Dave Batters in Dec. 2005 and $400 to Tom Lukiwski in May 2004.

Garnet Garven, the deputy minister to the premier and cabinet secretary, contributed $500 to the Conservative Party’s Wascana candidate, Brad Farquhar, in Jan. 2006. (Farquhar was once the Saskatchewan Party’s executive director.)

Joe Donlevy, the chief of staff to the premier, donated $500 to the Saskatoon--Rosetown--Biggar Conservative Association in June 2006.

Rick Mantey is the deputy cabinet secretary and clerk of the executive council. It appears his company Frederick D. Mantey & Associates Ltd. contributed $267.75 to the Winnipeg South Conservative Association on Aug. 28, 2006. Mantey is a former special assistant to Manitoba Tory premier Gary Filmon.

Raynelle Wilson, the Saskatchewan Party’s caucus director and its Regina Lakeview candidate in the 2007 provincial election, donated $400 to Dave Batters in Dec. 2005.

An Iain G. Harry of Kanata, Ontario is listed as having made 10 contributions of $85 each to the Conservative Party of Canada between Mar. 24 and Dec. 19, 2006. Harry made three more donations of $85 each to the party from Jan. 18 to Mar. 19, 2007.

The StarPhoenix reported on Mar. 17, 2006, that Iain Harry, the Saskatchewan Party caucus’ director of policy, was taking a policy and communications role with the Conservative caucus as an employee of the House of Commons. [Sask. Party worker takes job with Tories (StarPhoenix, Mar. 17, 2006)]

Harry was senior adviser to Transport Minister Lawrence Cannon for infrastructure and communities and former head of the Conservative Resource Group (CRG), otherwise known as the Conservative National Caucus Research Bureau in Ottawa. [The Hill Times, Nov. 26, 2007]

Following the Saskatchewan Party victory in the 2007 provincial election Harry returned to Saskatchewan and on Nov. 16 was named special advisor to the premier. According to the government’s staff directory Harry is currently vice president of the crown sector initiatives division in the Crown Investments Corporation of Saskatchewan (CIC).

More interesting is that early federal records indicate that a Brad Wall donated $101.07 to the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada in 1994 and $169.51 in 1995. It’s unclear whether this is the same Wall that is premier today.

In 2004, Saskatchewan Party Leader Brad Wall told StarPhoenix columnist Gerry Klein that he was supporting Cypress Hills-Grasslands Conservative candidate David Anderson.

However, Wall expressed concern that if the Saskatchewan Party was seen to be supporting a particular federal party that it could cost him votes in the next provincial election: “We know we need every vote we can get,” he said. [Wall defends MLAs’ right to choose: Sask. Party members support range of federal candidates (StarPhoenix, June 5, 2004)]

On Nov. 29, 2005, Wall said the best way to advance Saskatchewan’s interests is to vote for the Harper Conservative’s.

“You know, there are two parties that are interested in an energy accord, support an energy accord for Saskatchewan,” he said. “One of them has a chance to form the government and the other doesn’t.”

Wall said that meant he’d be voting Conservative. [Calvert, Wall weigh in on federal race (CBC News, Nov. 29, 2005)]

As things turned out Wall could not have been more wrong, the Harper government had no interest and does not support an energy accord for Saskatchewan.

The fun doesn’t stop there. Since coming to power the Wall government has appointed a number of Conservative Party contributors to plum posts many of whom have also donated to the Saskatchewan Party. These include:

David Eberle, WCB Chair: $600 to Bradley Trost in June 2004.

Robert Pletch, SaskEnergy Chair: $1,000 to Dave Batters in Dec. 2005; and $500 to Batters and $300 to Tom Lukiwski in June 2004.

Doug Emsley, chief of transition and special advisor: $1,000 to Dave Batters and $1,000 to Tom Lukiwski in Dec. 2005; and $1,000 to Batters and $2,000 to Lukiwksi in May 2004.

Gavin Semple, Enterprise Saskatchewan deputy chair and business sector representative: $2,000 to Tom Lukiwski in Jan. 2006 and $1,000 to Brad Farquhar in Dec. 2005.

Ken Love, Saskatchewan Labour Relations Board Chair: $585 to the Wascana Conservative Association in Nov. /Dec. 2005.

E. Craig Lothian, Enterprise Saskatchewan board representing the resources industry: $250 to Dave Batters in June 2004 and $300 to the Wascana Conservative Association in Dec. 2005.

Wes Becker, Saskatchewan Gaming Corporation Chair: $400 to Tom Lukiwski in Dec. 2005.

Warren Sproule, Saskatchewan Government Insurance Chair: $200 to Dave Batters in Jan. 2006.

Wayne Lorch, Saskatchewan Transportation Company Chair: $260 to Dave Batters in Dec. 2005.

Joel Teal, SaskPower Chair: $850 to the Conservative Party in 2006.

Glen Rittinger, SaskWater Chair: $300 to the Conservative Party in 2006.

Bill Wheatley, SaskPower vice-chair: $500 to Dave Batters in Jan. 2006 and $550 to Batters between May & June 2004.

One of the more recent federal appointments with a Saskatchewan Party connection came on July 7, 2008, when Kory Teneycke became the new director of communications for Prime Minister Stephen Harper.

Teneycke worked in Reform Party Leader Preston Manning’s office where he had a series of organizational roles. From there Kory went to Saskatchewan to help Elwin Hermanson’s Saskatchewan Party come within a hair of knocking off the Roy Romanow NDP. [Introducing the new PMO director of communications (Maclean’s, July 4, 2008)]

Saskatchewan Party financial records indicate that Teneycke donated $649.58 to the party in 2003.

Records show that Teneycke donated to several Saskatchewan Conservative campaigns: $1,000 to Brad Trost in Jan. 2006; $1,000 to Gerry Ritz in Jan. 2006; $1,000 to Andrew Scheer in Jan. 2005; $1,000 to Jeremy Harrison in Jan. 2006; and $1,000 to Tom Lukiwski in 2006.

Last, but not least, is the Saskatchewan Party government’s Environment Minister Nancy Heppner who famously said during the last provincial election that “There are no ties between the Saskatchewan Party and the Conservative government.”

Heppner, who up until June 2005 served as Question Period coordinator for the Conservative caucus, joined the PMO in March 2006 as a special assistant for issues management.

In the last federal election she worked in the Tory war room and before that worked for Tory MP Dave Batters as the Parliamentary assistant in his constituency office.

Originally from Rosthern, Heppner first came to the Hill in Sept. 2001 to work for Conservative MP Carol Skelton (Saskatoon-Rosetown-Biggar, Sask.) as a legislative assistant. She joined Conservative Party Leader Stephen Harper’s (Calgary Southwest, Alta.) OLO in 2002 as Question Period coordinator. [The Hill Times, Mar 20, 2006]

A couple of years ago Leader-Post political columnist Murray Mandryk pointed out that “While the Saskatchewan Party is quick to note it has no formal relationship with any federal party, the personal connections are rather indisputable.”

Mandryk said “the informal ties may be as much of a hindrance as a help when it comes to the Saskatchewan Party’s identity crisis -- especially if it’s perceived that the provincial Opposition is nothing more than an apologist for unpopular federal government decisions.” [Questions still remain about Saskatchewan Party (Leader-Post, Feb. 24, 2006)]

Now that they’re in power the Saskatchewan Party’s identity crisis is worse than ever.

Thursday, July 17, 2008

Equalization: Premier Brad Wall sets new standard for hypocrisy and betrayal; elephant in the room is Prime Minister Stephen Harper, not litigation



Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall has set a new standard for hypocrisy and betrayal.

After stalling and stringing people along for eight months the Saskatchewan Party government has officially abandoned a reference to the Saskatchewan Court of Appeal on the equalization issue.

The announcement was made by Justice Minister Don Morgan on July 10, 2008.

Morgan said the challenge has been hampering federal-provincial negotiations.

“The litigation is always the elephant in the room when you’re trying to negotiate something. So we’d just as soon try and not have that there at all,” Morgan told The Canadian Press.

On the contrary, for anyone that has followed this issue closely the real elephant in the room has been Prime Minister Stephen Harper whose presence seems to hang over the Saskatchewan Legislature Building like a dark, threatening cloud.

Morgan neglected to mention that Premier Brad Wall said on June 13, 2007 that he supported the legal challenge in principle. On Oct. 4, 2007 he said “If there’s a chance to win this case we ought to pursue it.”

When the federal Liberals were in power Opposition Leader Brad Wall was relentless in his attacks for a fair deal for Saskatchewan, but after the Harper Conservatives took the reins in Jan. 2006, Wall eased off, speaking up occasionally, but careful not to upset the elephant in Ottawa too much. After all on Nov. 29, 2005, he said he was voting for them.

“Regardless of who forms the federal government, the Saskatchewan Party will always fight for Saskatchewan interests. The commitments on equalization and agriculture must be kept by the new Parliament,” Wall said in a Jan. 24, 2006 news release.

There was no talk then, as there is now, about downgrading expectations to accepting “the equivalent or more of an equalization deal,” which can only result in a war of numbers.

On Oct. 10, 2007, the day the provincial election was called, Wall said he was asking voters “for a mandate to demand and negotiate a fair deal for the people of Saskatchewan.”

After winning the election, though, Wall seemed to disappear down the nearest gopher hole. He drew closer to Harper and began ignoring past promises. As premier he has failed to do the things that he demanded of former Premier Lorne Calvert.

The following is a timeline of Premier Brad Wall’s road to hypocrisy and betrayal:

Feb. 25, 2005: Saskatchewan Party Leader Brad Wall demands that equalization be the first order of business in the upcoming spring session of the legislative assembly that begins on March 14.

“The message that came out of last week’s all-party meeting on a better deal for Saskatchewan under the equalization program is this: we have to ramp up the fight,” Wall said.

“The Saskatchewan Party wants an emergency debate on equalization on opening day,” Wall said. “And what could be a better present for Saskatchewan’s centennial than a new equalization deal for the province?” [Saskatchewan Party news release, Feb. 25, 2005]

The Hansard shows that Premier Lorne Calvert agreed with the Saskatchewan Party’s request. It’s interesting to note that on Mar. 20, 2007, the Opposition Saskatchewan Party would not allow debate on an emergency motion from the NDP expressing disappointment in the federal budget. Then on Mar. 17, 2008, Premier Brad Wall refused to agree to an NDP call for an emergency debate on equalization at the legislature.

Mar. 14, 2005: NDP and the Opposition Saskatchewan Party unanimously pass a motion in the legislature asking the federal government for a “Saskatchewan Energy Accord” and urging reforms to the system to recognize that natural resources are non-renewable.

“Leave of the Assembly having been granted, pursuant to Rule 49, it was moved by the Hon. Mr. Calvert, seconded by Mr. Wall:

“That this Assembly urge the Prime Minister and the Federal Minister of Finance to respect the principle of equity in the treatment of provincial energy revenues and immediately begin negotiations with the Government of Saskatchewan on the achievement of a Saskatchewan Energy Accord that guarantees 100 per cent protection from Equalization claw backs on its energy revenues beginning in the 2005-06 fiscal year;

“And further, that this Assembly urge the Prime Minister and the Federal Minister of Finance to introduce reforms to the manner in which Equalization entitlements are determined to recognize that natural resources are non-renewable, and that the financial benefits from the depletion of these resources should remain with the province that owns them, and that any program reforms include the return to a national determination of provincial fiscal disparities.

“A debate arising and the question being put, it was agreed to.” [No. 72, Votes and Proceedings of the Legislative Assembly, Province of Saskatchewan, March 14, 2005]

Mar. 21, 2005: Saskatchewan Party Leader Brad Wall makes a presentation to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Finance Subcommittee on Fiscal Imbalance. The committee stopped in Regina as part of a series of hearings across Canada, gathering information on the fiscal imbalance between provinces and the federal government.

In his address to the committee, Wall said “the equalization formula is fundamentally flawed in at least three areas: inclusion of non-renewable oil and gas revenues; the use of national proxies to measure Saskatchewan’s mining tax base; and the use of a five province standard to establish the average fiscal capacity of all ten provinces.”

“We in Saskatchewan also acknowledged the value of the accords to the people of Newfoundland and Nova Scotia while making the legitimate point that Saskatchewan families deserve the same deal.

“The Atlantic Agreements essentially allow Newfoundland and Nova Scotia to retain 100% revenues generated for their respective governments by offshore oil and gas.

“The agreements also ensure that any reduction in equalization entitlements to Newfoundland and Nova Scotia triggered by offshore oil and gas revenues will be paid back to those provinces from outside the equalization funding envelope,” said Wall.

“The Official Opposition strongly supports the position taken by Premier Calvert in calling for a Saskatchewan Energy Accord.”

Wall also told the committee “We see it as a simple decision for the Prime Minister and his Liberal Government to make.

“If Mr. Martin believes in fairness, he should immediately support Saskatchewan’s call for an Energy Accord that allows our province to retain 100% of our oil and gas revenue without losing equalization entitlements.

“If Mr. Martin believes Saskatchewan families do not deserve the same fair treatment his government recognized is appropriate for families in Newfoundland and Nova Scotia, then he will deny our province’s request for a Saskatchewan Energy Accord.”

Wall went on to say “[I]n Saskatchewan, the federal government has been confiscating between 90 percent and 108 percent of our non-renewable oil and gas revenue for the past five years.

“In effect, Saskatchewan is not being given access to its oil and gas resource revenues.

It is worth noting…that over the same five year time frame, the provinces of Newfoundland and Nova Scotia have been able to retain more than 100% of off-shore oil and gas revenues.

“I question how that kind of disparity, created by the equalization formula, contributes to achievement of a fiscal balance which is the very purpose of the federal equalization program?”

“Clearly, any formula, equalization or otherwise, that allows the federal government to confiscate virtually all of the oil and gas revenue that rightfully belongs to the people of Saskatchewan is fundamentally flawed and needs to be fixed,” Wall said.

“To summarize, the Official Opposition Saskatchewan Party urges the subcommittee to recommend three long term changes to the federal equalization formula that will restore fairness and address the fiscal imbalance that exists in Canada today:

1) use of a ten province standard to determine relative fiscal capacity of each province for the purpose of calculating equalization entitlements;

2) exclude non-renewable oil and gas revenues from the calculation of equalization entitlements; and

3) return to four separate mining tax bases instead of using proxies to determine the fiscal capacity of the mining sector in each province.

“I want to conclude by emphasizing that, for Saskatchewan, the first critical step in finding a solution to Canada’s fiscal imbalance is the immediate negotiation of a Saskatchewan Energy Accord that allows Saskatchewan the same opportunity to retain 100% of our oil and gas revenues without an equalization penalty as was recently afforded the provinces of Newfoundland and Nova Scotia.”

“Members of the subcommittee, Saskatchewan families deserve no less than the same fair deal.” [Brad Wall, Leader of the Official Opposition, Presentation to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Finance Subcommittee on Fiscal Imbalance, Monday, March 21, 2005]

Premier Brad Wall refuses to defend Saskatchewan like this today.

May 12, 2005: Responding to questions regarding Premier Lorne Calvert’s trip to Ottawa for equalization meetings with Finance Minister Ralph Goodale and a discussion with Prime Minister Paul Martin, Opposition leader Brad Wall said the benchmark for success remains the exclusion of resource revenues unless the premier comes back with a whopping check.

“If we get a deal that’s the same as Atlantic Canada he will hear good things from the Opposition. And if he falls short of that it’s our job to hold him accountable,” Wall told reporters. [Calvert could come home with empty cap in hand (Leader-Post, May 13, 2005)]

Nov. 28, 2005: Saskatchewan Party Leader Brad Wall tells reporters that Premier Lorne Calvert must be more aggressive in his tactics on equalization during the election campaign and should ask for meetings with every major figure campaigning in the province.

“Meet with them after a (media) scrum where the cameras are rolling or in a private room, whatever it takes to make the case,” said Wall.

“It’s far short of pulling down a flag but yeah, it’s an idea that’s out there a little bit for sure. You can make sure the premier’s not waiting around and hoping he doesn’t turn and walk the other way . . . we gotta make the case a little more loudly than we have and if that means getting in the face of federal politicians regardless of their party, then let’s do that.” [Calvert to push Martin on equalization deal (StarPhoenix, Nov 29, 2005)]

Since becoming premier, Wall has hypocritically refused to get in the faces of federal Conservative politicians in Ottawa.

Nov. 29, 2005: The elephant enters the room. Reacting to the fall of the Liberal minority government on Nov. 28 and the national election set for Jan. 23, 2006, Saskatchewan Party leader Brad Wall said the best way to advance Saskatchewan’s interests is to vote for the Harper Conservative’s.

“You know, there are two parties that are interested in an energy accord, support an energy accord for Saskatchewan,” he said. “One of them has a chance to form the government and the other doesn’t.”

Wall said that means he’ll be voting Conservative. [Calvert, Wall weigh in on federal race (CBC News, Nov. 29, 2005)]

As it turned out Wall was wrong, the Harper government had no interest and does not support an energy accord for Saskatchewan.

Jan. 24, 2006: Saskatchewan Party Leader Brad Wall congratulates the elephant, Stephen Harper, and the Conservative Party of Canada on their victory in the Jan. 23 federal election. In the news release Wall said that with 12 members on the government side of the House the province will have its strongest voice in Ottawa in many years.

“The Conservative Party election platform contains positive commitments for Saskatchewan and it’s important for Saskatchewan that these commitments are kept,” Wall said. “Chief among these commitments is a promise to revamp Canada’s unfair and outdated equalization program.”

Wall requested that a new equalization formula be retroactive to April 1, 2006; and that non-renewable resource revenue be removed from the calculations used for equalization payments to Saskatchewan.

“The importance of a fair equalization deal for Saskatchewan transcends provincial and federal politics and it needs to get done quickly. And I am committed to doing what ever it takes to make sure that happens,” Wall said.

“Regardless of who forms the federal government, the Saskatchewan Party will always fight for Saskatchewan interests. The commitments on equalization and agriculture must be kept by the new Parliament.” [Saskatchewan Party news release, January 24, 2006]

Prime Minister Stephen Harper and his 12 Saskatchewan MPs broke their equalization promise. With the Conservatives in power Premier Brad Wall is failing to fight for Saskatchewan interests.

Feb. 3, 2006: A Saskatchewan Party news release advises that party leader Brad Wall received a phone call on Feb. 2 from the elephant, Prime Minister designate Stephen Harper.

“I offered my sincere congratulations to him and his 12 Saskatchewan colleagues,” Wall said.

“We also had a chance to speak about issues of importance to this province.”

“We also discussed the need for a new equalization formula that is fair to Saskatchewan, one that removes non-renewable resource revenue from calculations for payments to our province. I also introduced the concept of making a new deal for Saskatchewan retroactive to April 1, 2006,” Wall said.

“I believe Mr. Harper understands the priorities of Saskatchewan people and I look forward to a positive working relationship with the new federal government.” [Saskatchewan Party news release, Feb. 3, 2006]

Harper and his 12 Saskatchewan colleagues broke their equalization promise and Wall’s “positive working relationship” with the federal Conservatives failed to result in a new deal for Saskatchewan.

June 5, 2006: Saskatchewan Party Leader Brad Wall reiterates the Saskatchewan Party position that any new federal equalization formula must exclude 100 per cent of provincial natural resource revenue and must be based on a ten-province standard.

“The Saskatchewan Party believes any new equalization formula should not penalize Saskatchewan for having natural resources,” Wall said in a news release. “That was the principle of the Atlantic Accord. What is fair for those provinces should be fair for Saskatchewan.”

Wall was reacting to the report released [June 5] by the Expert Panel on Equalization and Territorial Formula Financing with a recommendation that 50 per cent of provincial resource revenues should be included to determine the size of the new equalization pool. The panel was appointed by Liberals prior to the last federal election.

“The Saskatchewan Party also believes that a new equalization formula should be retroactive to April 1, 2006, to compensate Saskatchewan for any loss of revenue from equalization which may accrue during the period leading to the adoption of a new equalization formula,” Wall said.

Wall was confident an agreement that will meet Saskatchewan’s needs could still be delivered.

“To date, the Conservative government has delivered on a number of its campaign promises, and I anticipate the same with respect to its commitment to a new equalization formula that excludes 100 per cent of resource revenues and is based on a ten-province standard,” Wall said. [Saskatchewan Party news release, June 5, 2006]

Sept. 12, 2006: Saskatchewan Party MLA Wayne Elhard renews his Party’s call for the federal government to keep its election commitments to exempt non-renewable natural resources from the equalization formula and to move to a 10-province standard. Elhard also reiterated the Saskatchewan’s Party call for any new equalization formula to be applied retroactively to April 1, 2006, regardless of when the deal is finalized.

Saskatchewan people expect the Prime Minister and his government to live up to the commitments they made during the election campaign,” Elhard said.

“Our Leader, Brad Wall, has both written and spoken to the Prime Minister on this issue. We have impressed the importance of it to our Saskatchewan MPs, and in fact, Saskatchewan Party members approved our position at our 2005 policy convention.” [Saskatchewan Party news release, Sept. 12, 2006]

Page 27 of the Saskatchewan Party Policy Book states, “Reforming the Equalization Program: Be it resolved that a Saskatchewan Party government will negotiate with the federal government to: a) Move to a ten-province standard for the purpose of calculating equalization; and Have Saskatchewan’s oil and gas resource revenue treated in a manner similar to the Maritime provinces in the calculation of equalization payments.”

Jan. 17, 2007: Federal Finance Minister Jim Flaherty informed the Saskatchewan government on Jan. 16 that it wouldn’t get any equalization money in 2007-08.

On Jan. 17, Saskatchewan Party Leader Brad Wall urged the federal Conservatives to make good on their equalization election promise.

“A deal is a deal -- absolutely,” Wall said. “The promise that was made in the campaign is something we expect to be delivered this spring.”

Wall said he had already delivered that message to Revenue Minister Carol Skelton and Gerry Ritz, secretary for small business and tourism. [Equalization news frustrates gov’t (StarPhoenix, Jan 18, 2007)]

Skelton and Ritz would later co-author a letter to the editor on behalf of the Saskatchewan Conservative Caucus that was published in the StarPhoenix on July 19, 2007. The MPs claimed Leader-Post political columnist Murray Mandryk had treated them unfairly in one of his recent columns and that he should apologize. Skelton and Ritz said that their government’s equalization policy for Saskatchewan was “good and fair.” None of the 12 Saskatchewan Conservative MPs has ever apologized for breaking their equalization promise.

Mar. 19, 2007: Conservative Finance Minister Jim Flaherty tables the federal budget in Ottawa.

Flaherty announced an equalization plan that sees provinces now able to choose from different equalization formulas -- either 50 per cent or 100 per cent exclusion of natural resources --whichever suits the jurisdiction best.

But Flaherty also put a cap on equalization based on a province’s relative fiscal capacity compared to Ontario.

With that cap, Saskatchewan gets $226 million in equalization under either formula this year, while the payment drops to zero for the province next year.

“What we have here is a broken promise; what we have is a betrayal of a promise made to the people of Saskatchewan,” NDP Premier Lorne Calvert told reporters.

Saskatchewan Party Leader Brad Wall said his party will fully support Calvert in his demands for a Saskatchewan accord.

“I’m upset and I think the people of the province will be as well ... today, the issue is -- did (the Conservatives) keep a promise that they made, a pretty clear promise without a cap. The answer is no,” he told reporters. [Gov’t, Sask. Party angry: Two Thousand and Seven Federal Budget: Saskatchewan (Leader-Post, Mar. 20, 2007)]

Mar. 20, 2007: The elephant in the room is not amused. A day after slamming the federal Conservatives for breaking their equalization promise the Opposition Saskatchewan Party would not allow debate on an emergency motion from the NDP expressing disappointment in the federal budget and calling on all 14 Saskatchewan MPs -- 12 of whom are Conservatives -- to vote against the budget.

Premier Lorne Calvert accused Sask. Party Leader Brad Wall of backing off on the issue because of links between the Sask. Party and the Tories.

“I wanted to send a clear message to the prime minister from the legislature of Saskatchewan about the disappointment of this legislature and the people of Saskatchewan on a broken promise,” he told reporters. “I tell you what’s happened -- overnight somebody in Ottawa has jerked the chain of the leader of the Opposition in Saskatchewan and told him to quit with that.”

But Wall said he spoke to some Conservative MPs after the budget came out and “I don’t think there are federal Conservatives who are particularly happy with our comments (on Monday).”

The government motion did nothing constructive because it did not talk about steps such as a side deal for the province, said Wall.

Wall sidestepped the question of whether the federal budget should be defeated.

“The budget’s not going to be defeated. The budget is going to pass; that’s clearly been signaled. Do we wish this budget would pass in its current form? No,” he said. [Tories muzzled Wall: Calvert: Solidarity of provincial rivals frays in equalization fight (StarPhoenix, Mar. 21, 2007)]

June 13, 2007: Saskatchewan Party Leader Brad Wall said he has written a letter to Premier Lorne Calvert, supporting in principle the government’s decision to launch a legal challenge against the federal government on the basis that it is violating the constitution by failing to deliver a fair equalization deal to for the people of Saskatchewan.

Wall also called on Premier Calvert to release copies of any legal opinions obtained by the government regarding a possible court challenge.

“The people of Saskatchewan must be assured that any challenge based on the Constitution Act has a reasonable expectation of success,” Wall said.

“To that end, the legal opinions must be available to members of the public who are following this important issue so there can be an open and informed public debate.” [Saskatchewan Party news release, June 13, 2007]

Showing considerable hypocrisy the Wall government has abandoned the legal challenge and failed to release the legal opinions regarding it.

Oct. 4, 2007: The NDP government took its equalization battle with Ottawa to court filing a constitutional challenge with the Saskatchewan Court of Appeal on Oct. 3.

Saskatchewan Party Leader Brad Wall expressed skepticism about the legal challenge, but said “If there’s a chance to win this case we ought to pursue it.”

Wall said that if he becomes premier he will continue to hold the Conservatives to account for the broken campaign promise on equalization. But if they won’t keep it he will push for continued federal investment in Saskatchewan in areas such as First Nations, health care, post-secondary education and a national energy grid as “the equivalent or more of an equalization deal.” [NDP taking issue to court (Leader-Post, Oct. 5, 2007)]

This appears to be Wall’s first public mention of the downgrading of expectations and mirrors what the party’s election platform would state when it was released on Oct. 19.

Oct. 10, 2007: Saskatchewan Party Leader Brad Wall said he was extremely disappointed that the federal government had reached a deal to allow Nova Scotia to exempt all of its oil revenues from equalization payments, while there is no similar deal for Saskatchewan.

“This is just plain wrong,” Wall said. “In order for Confederation to work properly, all provinces must be treated equally, and that’s not happening.”

Wall said if oil revenues are exempted for Atlantic provinces, the same deal must be extended to Saskatchewan.

“Over the next four weeks, I will be asking voters for a mandate to demand and negotiate a fair deal for the people of Saskatchewan,” Wall said. [Saskatchewan Party news release, Oct. 10, 2007]

This news release, issued on the day the provincial election was called, represents the last that the Saskatchewan Party has issued dealing primarily with equalization.

Since becoming premier Wall has demanded little and has not come close to getting a fair deal for Saskatchewan.

Oct. 10, 2007: Prime Minister Stephen Harper announces the federal government will allow Nova Scotia to opt out of the equalization formula set out in the federal budget last spring, reverting to the funding formula contained in the original 2005 Atlantic accord. That accord protected provincial resource revenues from being clawed back under the equalization program.

Within hours of the announcement, Saskatchewan Party Leader Brad Wall was accusing Harper of cutting a special deal with Nova Scotia.

Saskatchewan deserves to be treated the same as any other province in Confederation,” said Wall.

“Whatever arrangement is available to other resource-based economies, other provinces who obviously have an oil and gas asset in their natural resources, should be available to all the provinces in Canada.” [Calvert, Wall blast Harper on ‘special deal’ for Nova Scotia (StarPhoenix, Oct. 11, 2007)]

Oct. 19, 2007: Saskatchewan Party Leader Brad Wall releases the entire Saskatchewan Party election platform. Page 22 contains the following promise regarding equalization: “A Fair Deal for Saskatchewan: A Saskatchewan Party government will work with the federal government to secure a Saskatchewan Energy Accord modeled on the Atlantic Accord, or its financial equivalent, to support economic growth initiatives in Saskatchewan.”

The Saskatchewan Party bailed long ago on the first part and is stumbling badly on the second.

Nov. 8, 2007: Premier-designate Brad Wall’s immediate to-do list does not include equalization.

Wall said the Saskatchewan Party still wants the same equalization deal as other provinces when it comes to resources. Newfoundland and Nova Scotia have side deals exempting non-renewable resources.

But he said he could not comment on whether his government will continue the constitutional challenge over equalization filed by Calvert's government against the federal Conservative government until he sees the legal opinions.

He said there are other tactics to pursue, including pushing for increased federal funding in areas such as infrastructure, post- secondary education and First Nations. [First things first; Wall establishes fixed date for next provincial election (StarPhoenix, Nov. 9, 2007)]

Nov. 22, 2007: Bill Boyd, the former provincial Progressive Conservative leader and a Sask. Party founder, has the intergovernmental affairs portfolio and will handle equalization, along with Premier Brad Wall.

“I think that we feel we’re in a better position than the previous administration to work with the federal government and get a deal with Saskatchewan,” Boyd told reporters.

“We think we have a very strong relationship with a number of folks there. We feel that the strength of those types of relationships will be important going forward.”

Wall said that was part of the reason he appointed Boyd to handle the equalization file.

“Bill has contacts across the country, he has contacts in the federal government certainly. I think Bill’s got a reputation, if you talk to some NDP or former NDP cabinet ministers they would agree, Bill has the ability to get things done, to make the kind of arrangements that we know will be best for and are needed by the province of Saskatchewan,” he said.

Wall refused to say during the campaign whether the Sask. Party would continue the court case, saying he would need to see the internal legal opinions on the chances of its success.

Wall said he still has not seen the documents and no decision has been made. [Boyd predicts progress in equalization talks with Ottawa (StarPhoenix, Nov. 23, 2007)]

Sixteen days after the election and Wall still hadn’t bothered to read the internal legal opinions. The stalling had begun.

Boyd’s “ability to get things done” and to “get a deal” has failed.

Dec. 4, 2007: Premier Brad Wall backs the Saskatchewan Party government away from a constitutional challenge on equalization launched by the previous NDP government, calling it “dubious” and appearing to significantly raise the bar for the case to be continued by the new government.

Wall said a final decision on the lawsuit won’t likely be made for weeks.

Wall said the government was looking not only at whether it could win but also what benefit the province would receive from winning.

“If you can win the case, what does that mean? To the extent we go through the process and we don’t get any more money from the federal government for Saskatchewan, how much time has been lost on aggressively advancing other interests that Saskatchewan has?” he told reporters.

Wall said he had not yet discussed the court case formally with the ministers of justice or intergovernmental affairs and had not seen the government’s documentation in detail. But he said “so far it’s pretty dubious.” [Equalization challenge ‘dubious’: Wall (StarPhoenix, Dec. 5, 2007)]

The stalling continues. It’s now 29 days since the election and it appears Wall had still not read the legal opinions, yet he was able to conclude that the case was “dubious.”

On June 13 Wall said he supported the court challenge in principle “on the basis that it is violating the constitution by failing to deliver a fair equalization deal to for the people of Saskatchewan.”

On Oct. 4 Wall said “If there’s a chance to win this case we ought to pursue it.”

On Oct. 10, the day the provincial election was called, Wall said he was asking voters “for a mandate to demand and negotiate a fair deal for the people of Saskatchewan.”

None of this seemed to matter to Wall. The betrayal was in motion.

Dec. 19, 2007: In question period Premier Brad Wall avoided a direct answer to Opposition leader Lorne Calvert’s inquiry on whether he intended to hold firm on the demands that Stephen Harper and the federal Conservatives fulfill an election commitment to remove 100 per cent of non-renewable resources from the equalization formula.

Noting Wall said in the assembly on March 14, 2005, that he stood “in full support and agreement with the premier and the government of Saskatchewan on the solution,” Calvert said this shows how the Sask. Party leader says one thing in opposition and now says something different in government.

Outside the chamber, Wall told reporters his goal is to “get a better deal for Saskatchewan.”

Wall committed to “aggressively negotiate,” and said he could achieve something that “would certainly be comparable” to what "may or may not have happened under 100 per cent exclusion of resource revenue without a cap.” [Leaders spar over equalization (StarPhoenix, Dec. 20, 2007)]

At this point Wall has clearly abandoned the promise he made on Jan. 24, 2006, that “Regardless of who forms the federal government, the Saskatchewan Party will always fight for Saskatchewan interests. The commitments on equalization and agriculture must be kept by the new Parliament.”

Jan. 4, 2008: Commenting on the upcoming first ministers’ meeting with Prime Minister Stephen Harper in Ottawa, Premier Brad Wall said “Infrastructure investment, our post-secondary priorities, important pieces around energy where we’ve really wanted to carve out a new position of leadership, not just in Canada but on the continent. So these will be some of the priority items I will be raising every time I get a chance, whether it’s at a first ministers’ meeting or the Council of the Federation or western premiers.”

When asked about equalization, Wall said he would be talking more about it in the weeks ahead. He reiterated there “is a very compelling case” for federal investment and partnership in the province.

Wall said that a decision on the constitutional challenge on equalization has still not been reached on whether it will be continued and none will be made before the meeting with Harper. [Wall to push for 'new relationship' with Harper (StarPhoenix, Jan. 5, 2008)]

Jan. 7, 2008: Appeasing the elephant. Premier Brad Wall said he wouldn’t press Prime Minister Stephen Harper on the equalization front because he believes he can negotiate a deal with the federal government that would bring more than the $800 million in annual federal payments the province is losing because of a federally imposed cap on equalization payments.

Wall said he thinks he will be more successful in securing federal dollars if he proposes spending in specific areas such as on roads and other infrastructure as well as on skills training to address the shortage of workers.

Saskatchewan needs its own agreement with the federal government,” said Wall. [Wall to ‘sell out’ Sask. interest’s at meeting, NDP alleges (StarPhoenix, Jan. 8, 2008)]

To date Wall has failed to “negotiate a deal” with the federal government.

Jan. 10, 2008: Just ahead of his meeting with Prime Minister Stephen Harper and other premiers, Brad Wall said he didn’t expect Harper’s government to keep its campaign promise on equalization.

“I don’t see a change coming. So my question is . . . what’s next for Saskatchewan?” he told reporters. Wall said he isn’t condoning the broken promise but noted “the formula is what it is right now.”

Wall pointed out the Sask. Party’s recent election platform called for an energy accord for Saskatchewan similar to that of the Atlantic provinces, which exclude non-renewable resource revenues, or its equivalent.

In Ottawa, Wall said he planned to push for more federal funding for Saskatchewan to deal with issues such as the province’s infrastructure deficit and labour shortage, investment he said will help sustain Saskatchewan’s current economic boom.

“I think that if we take a very aggressive approach to the federal government on a file-by-file basis in strategic areas, that we can achieve something better than equalization for Saskatchewan,” he said. [Wall has few hopes for equalization deal (StarPhoenix, Jan. 11, 2008)]

This appears to represent the first occurrence of Wall attempting to use his party’s election platform to justify his course of action and as a means to nullify any promises he might have made in the past.

Jan. 12, 2008: Premier Brad Wall returns from his introductory first ministers meeting, which occurred in Ottawa on Friday, Jan. 11.

At the meeting, instead of demanding equalization funding, Wall asked specific items receive funding in order to keep the economy booming.

“If we are successful we will have done more than any equalization can do, where you’re sometimes in and sometimes out, and our goal is to remain a have province,” Wall said, in a phone interview from Pearson International Airport in Toronto on Saturday morning.

Wall’s must have list includes funding for infrastructure, First Nations issues, training initiatives to solve the labour shortage and aid to become an energy leader.

“We need to get some specific results for Saskatchewan and that’s my job and I’m going to work hard at it,” he said. [Beggars no more; Walls sings new tune in Ottawa (Leader-Post, Jan. 14, 2008)]

What Wall failed to say is exactly where the $800 million-plus in annual federal money is supposed to come from. How is he going to get it?

The results Wall promised to fight for are a new equalization formula that is retroactive and that non-renewable resource revenue be removed from the calculations used for equalization payments to Saskatchewan.

On Jan. 24, 2006, Wall said he was “committed to doing what ever it takes to make sure” Saskatchewan gets a fair equalization deal.

Wall said “Regardless of who forms the federal government, the Saskatchewan Party will always fight for Saskatchewan interests. The commitments on equalization and agriculture must be kept by the new Parliament.”

Wall has broken his promise to fight for Saskatchewan interests on equalization.

Jan. 17, 2008: The elephant speaks. While visiting Prince Albert to announce Saskatchewan’s share of a federal aid package aimed at volatile economic conditions, Prime Minister Stephen Harper said “We look forward to working with the new government on shared priorities and we’ve had some good discussions. I’m not going to comment on any specifics.”

Harper was responding to a question about Premier Brad Wall’s strategy to seek an equivalent or greater amount in federal investment on a file-by-file basis rather than press the government to keep its $800 million equalization promise to Saskatchewan.

Harper and Wall had a separate one-on-one meeting after the first ministers meeting on Jan. 10.

Wall said he sensed genuine interest from Harper.

“What the prime minister was referring to is what I have talked about as well. We want to give the opportunity for a new federal- provincial dynamic to work and see where it takes us. I have made the case . . . for some specific strategic investments in our province that will help ensure long-term growth and sustainability,” he told reporters.

Wall pointed to the upcoming federal budget and a possible federal election if the minority Conservatives are defeated in the House of Commons this spring as two important upcoming indicators if the approach is working. [Wall, Harper tout new era for Sask. (StarPhoenix, Jan. 18, 2008)]

The minority Conservatives are still in power but more importantly the federal budget was a huge bust for Saskatchewan showing that Wall’s approach is failing.

Jan. 23, 2008: Premier Brad Wall claims opportunities for additional federal funding in everything from clean coal technology to uranium development to First Nations and highways could add up to more than an additional $800 million a year from Ottawa.

But Wall acknowledged it may be harder to measure such non-direct federal investment, thus making it difficult to tell if it will be equivalent to the federal Conservative government’s $800- million-a-year election promise to remove non-renewable resources from the equalization formula.

Wall said [Prime Minister Stephen] Harper reconfirmed last week that Ottawa has no interest in a separate Saskatchewan accord to fulfill the Conservatives’ equalization promise made during the 2006 federal election campaign.

“This federal government has said there would be no side (deal). Period.” Wall said. “They’ve said that to Mr. Calvert. They’ve said that to me. They’ve said to (Alberta Premier) Mr. (Ed) Stelmach. They’ve been pretty clear about it.” [Province targets increased federal money (StarPhoenix, Jan. 24, 2008)]

This should not absolve Wall from keeping his promise to fight for a fair equalization deal for the people of Saskatchewan or honour his publicly stated support for the legal challenge.

Feb. 9, 2008: Saskatchewan Party cabinet ministers and the province’s Conservative MPs conduct a secret lunchtime meeting.

Notably absent from the meeting, held at Government House, was federal Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz, Saskatchewan’s only MP to sit on the federal cabinet.

Premier Brad Wall focused on the infrastructure framework agreement that was the main topic of conversation. He would not divulge details of what that conversation entailed.

NDP leader Lorne Calvert took the opportunity to criticize the Sask. Party government for not keeping its promise to work towards getting as much as $800 million in equalization payments for the province.

“(Wall) should not confuse infrastructure dollars -- which should be flowing to Saskatchewan, because they flow to every other provincial jurisdiction -- with what they owe us on our resource revenues,” he said.

Wall referred to a Saskatchewan energy accord and hoped-for money from Ottawa for infrastructure and labour shortage issues as ways the province stands to benefit.

“We campaigned in the election on a commitment to pursue a Saskatchewan energy accord or its equivalent, and that’s exactly what we’re doing,” Wall said. [Infrastructure dominates talks between Wall, federal MPs (StarPhoenix, Feb. 11, 2008)]

Once again Wall tries to deflect attention away from his past promises by using his party’s election platform as a way to justify his actions.

The fact of the matter is prior to Oct. 4, 2007, just before the election was called, Wall never mentioned his party’s intention to downgrade its equalization expectations by seeking “its equivalent.”

Feb. 26, 2008: Finance Minister Jim Flaherty delivers his budget in the House of Commons. In an editorial the following day the StarPhoenix exposed Premier Brad Wall’s strategy as a failure:

“And for Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall, who insisted he could capture more bees from Harper’s government by using honey instead of the vinegar that spewed from his predecessor’s office, there was little to show for the efforts.

“There is $400 million in the budget to “encourage provinces and territories to recruit 2,500 new front-line police officers,” but it’s unlikely Saskatchewan will get much more than its per capita entitlement of three per cent (or $12 million). Given that Saskatchewan consistently rates among Canada’s leaders in per- capita crime, this likely won’t make much of a dent.

“Although there might be some good news for Saskatchewan, in that it should get $240 million for its leadership role in CO2 sequestration, that money is required to be matched by Saskatchewan taxpayers and used to partner with business. This province is the site of North America’s premier sequestration experiment, in southwest Saskatchewan.

“However, this money is a far cry from the revenue that would have flowed this way if Ottawa wasn’t counting non-renewable resources in the equalization formula -- something the Harper Conservatives unequivocally had promised before forming government.” [Budget positions Harper’s Tories for full-term run (StarPhoenix, Feb. 27, 2008)]

Mar. 13, 2008: Saskatchewan Party Justice Minister Don Morgan said Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Danny Williams -- along with the former NDP government in Saskatchewan – “have done the most destructive things” in their dealings with Prime Minster Stephen Harper’s government on equalization.

“They have chosen a path of confrontation,” Morgan said.

Morgan also decried the NDP for trying to “litigate their way out of problems,” a reference to the court challenge filed by the former government over the equalization dispute.

Morgan told reporters the Sask. Party government still hasn’t decided if it will drop the constitutional challenge.

“We’ll make a decision at some point in the future,” Morgan said. [N.L. premier Williams ‘destructive’ in dealing with feds: Sask. Party (StarPhoenix, Mar. 14, 2008)]

Morgan ignores the fact that on Nov. 28, 2005, Saskatchewan Party Leader Brad Wall complained that Premier Lorne Calvert wasn’t being aggressive enough in his tactics on equalization saying “we gotta make the case a little more loudly than we have and if that means getting in the face of federal politicians regardless of their party, then let’s do that.”

Now that the Conservatives are in power Morgan and Wall are afraid to get in the elephant’s face.

Mar. 17, 2008: Premier Brad Wall said Prime Minister Stephen Harper requested the province drop its constitutional challenge on equalization when the two leaders met early this year.

“He was very blunt. He just said obviously the federal government didn’t think it had a chance to succeed and thought it should be withdrawn,” Wall said of Harper's reaction to the legal challenge initiated by the province's previous NDP government.

The premier told reporters that Harper’s reaction was taken “under advisement” and there are “varying legal opinions” on the challenge.

But while Wall said the Saskatchewan Party government still hasn’t decided whether to abandon the court challenge, he declined Monday to agree to an NDP call for an emergency debate on equalization at the legislature.

Wall told reporters that sidestepping the debate is part of the government’s continuing plan to “give peace a chance” when it comes to its relationship with the federal government.

“We can always go back to fighting,” Wall said. “We’ve said we’re looking for an energy accord or its equivalent in our campaign platform and that’s what we’re working hard to do.” [Wall not in fighting mood; Declines emergency equalization debate call (StarPhoenix, Mar. 18, 2008)]

What the news article does not mention is that the only reason Wall made the admission was because it came under questioning from Opposition leader Lorne Calvert. And once again Wall hid behind his election platform to justify his actions.

Apr. 10, 2008: On this day the Leader-Post published an excellent letter from John D. Whyte, the Law Foundation of Saskatchewan Professor at the College of Law, University of Saskatchewan that offered several good reasons why it was important that the government proceed with its constitutional challenge on equalization.

In his letter Whyte said “Premier Brad Wall seems to consider a constitutional case an inferior way to pursue Saskatchewan's interests. He fears that speaking of legal entitlement will be seen as offensive by the Harper government and will, therefore, garner less for the province than pursuing the practices of support and supplication.

“But this view denies the civility of constitutional litigation. To initiate legal action does not impugn the good faith of another government, but raises the sensible claim that constitutional rules, always vital to preserving the integrity of a sound nation, impose restraints on federal power that may have been ignored.”

“Of course, litigation can be utilized as a political weapon brought into play not because there is a genuine claim, but simply to express stark disagreement -- a politer version of showing disagreement than tearing down the national flag,” Whyte said. “But this is not the situation in Saskatchewan’s constitutional challenge to federal equalization policies. There are three arguments that Saskatchewan could make. Each one is based on a reasonable reading of the Constitution.”

“First, the equalization program must not be exercised to destroy other constitutional rights; the Constitution's equalization provision explicitly states that federal transfer policies cannot alter provincial authorities. What the new equalization principles do is tax Saskatchewan's provincial natural resource revenues so that, up to a point, every Saskatchewan dollar gained from oil and gas production flows to the federal level as a discount of equalization. Such tax effect on provincial assets is forbidden in the Constitution.

“Second, equalization is rooted in equal treatment of all provinces. Saskatchewan is the only province that bears a penalty on revenues from oil and gas extraction. Alberta, independently of oil and gas revenues, is a rich province and falls outside equalization entitlements. Nova Scotia and Newfoundland, the other two oil-and- gas producing provinces, have had these revenues dropped from the calculation of their income and, therefore, suffer no equalization penalty. This arrangement is sensible policy. It is based on the idea that positive shifts in revenue need to be in place for some time in weaker economies so that secondary industry, infrastructure, a stable, trained workforce and economic diversity can be developed. If revenues are stripped away on the advent of new wealth, these provinces are doomed to lurch from poverty to riches and back again, never able to implement plans for a durable economy. The Atlantic provinces were able to convince Ottawa of the soundness of this position; Saskatchewan was not listened to, even though, at the time equalization promises were made, the argument applied equally well to it.

“Finally, the Constitution gives the province ownership and full taxing authority over non-renewable natural resources. These powers came into the Constitution in 1930 and in 1982. They were given in recognition that a province's destiny is tied to how it uses or preserves its natural resources and it is entitled to full autonomy over those decisions. The taking of resource revenues through uneven equalization rules returns the province to the era where it had neither ownership nor regulatory and tax autonomy and, thus, the two most important constitutional improvements in Saskatchewan's history are abridged.

“To raise these concerns through a court challenge to federal equalization policy is not an exercise of hostile politics. It turns the Canada-Saskatchewan debate over equalization back to guiding national principles. In initiating constitutional debate, respect is shown to the Harper government's commitment to being guided by the rule of law.” [Province has good reason to go to court (Leader-Post, Apr. 10, 2008)]

Premier Brad Wall has shamefully denied the people of Saskatchewan this important process.

July 10, 2008: Saskatchewan Party Justice Minister Don Morgan announces that the government is dropping a court challenge of the federal equalization program, saying the case has been "the elephant in the room" in talks with Ottawa.

Morgan said the challenge has been hampering federal-provincial negotiations.

“When you’re litigating you can’t sit down and say, ‘well let’s jointly fund a bridge, let’s set some priorities here,’” Morgan told The Canadian Press.

“It’s, ‘well, we’ll wait and see what happens with the litigation.’ The litigation is always the elephant in the room when you’re trying to negotiate something. So we’d just as soon try and not have that there at all.”

“Nobody’s held out threats or said we’re demanding you do this,” added Morgan.

There have also been suggestions from Prime Minister Stephen Harper that Saskatchewan drop the case. Premier Brad Wall has said Harper “made it clear” in a meeting in January that the legal challenge should be withdrawn. Wall said he took it under advisement. [Sask. drops legal challenge of equalization (CBC News, July 10, 2008)]

On the contrary, the elephant in the room has, and continues to be, Prime Minister Stephen Harper. Instead of looking out for Saskatchewan people’s interests Premier Brad Wall has successfully allowed the PM to bully the province into withdrawing the equalization.

July 15, 2008: Premier Brad Wall said that the equalization controversy is dead, arguing Saskatchewan will get more out of Ottawa without a legal challenge looming over the federal government's head.

But when asked if he feels the Sask. Party government’s new relationship with the federal government is generating enough cash to make up for not getting the $800 million that had been expected from equalization, Wall balked at answering.

“I’m not going to have this debate again,” he said.

However, when pressed, Wall later said he’s pleased with the progress so far. “I absolutely believe that over the course of time we’re going to succeed in this relationship where the previous (provincial NDP) government failed,” he said.

Wall said it’s clear that no federal government, including the current Conservative administration, will make the changes to the equalization formula Saskatchewan had called for and the Tories had promised prior to being elected.

“We’ve said that’s not going to happen so it’s time to move on,” Wall said.

Wall said the province hasn’t decided if it will make public the legal opinions on the province’s court challenge of equalization, in case the Sask. Party government decides to challenge other programs that federal governments may launch.

“I’m not sure it would serve the province’s interest to disclose the opinions on either side of the issue, in the event that something similar is needed in the future to protect Saskatchewan’s interests,” Wall said. [Wall defends lawsuit decision (Leader-Post, July 16, 2008)]

It would appear that Wall has downgraded expectations yet again. From now on success will be measured not by receiving “the equivalent or more of an equalization deal” but by how the “relationship” between the province and the federal government is faring.

Wall seems to have forgotten that he supported the legal challenge in principle and said on Oct. 4 that “If there’s a chance to win this case we ought to pursue it.”

On Oct. 10, the day the provincial election was called, Wall said he was asking voters “for a mandate to demand and negotiate a fair deal for the people of Saskatchewan.” Wall has broken that promise.

Wall’s conduct has indeed taken hypocrisy and betrayal to a new level.