You wouldn鈥檛 know it from the Saskatchewan Party鈥檚 throne speech.
Much like his low-key March re-election campaign, Premier Brad Wall鈥檚 throne speech downplayed the unpleasantness and accentuated the positives.
鈥淚n 2015, Saskatchewan鈥檚 agri-food exporters reached nearly $15.3 billion, surpassing my government鈥檚 Growth Plan target of $14 billion exports by 2020,鈥� Lt.-Gov. Vaughn Solomon read from the throne speech delivered May 17.
The speech further highlighted other positive happenings: a $25-million expansion by Edgewood Forest Products of Carrot River; $800 million by Crescent Point Energy; $1 billion by Husky Energy in thermal projects; $10 million by Weil Group in a helium facility near Mankota; $50 million in enhanced oil recover by RII near Lloydminster; $4.1 billion by K +S Legacy Mine, and; $20 million by BHP Billiton for carbon capture and storage.
The address opening the 28th Saskatchewan Legislature also noted the province鈥檚 population grew by 150,000 from January 1, 2006 to January 1, 2016 鈥� a stark contrast to the nearly 24,000 people that left Saskatchewan between January 1, 1996 and January 1, 2006.
By such measures, one might conclude that things have never been better in Saskatchewan 鈥� especially in rural Saskatchewan where most of the aforementioned economic activity seems to be taking place. Yet statisticians, your neighbours and even Brad Wall, himself, all seem to be telling you a very different story of late. According to Statistics Canada numbers, Saskatchewan鈥檚 Gross Domestic Product (GDP) contracted by 1.5 per cent in 2015. Moreover, it is only expected to grow by 0.5 per cent this year. These numbers suggest that, at best, the Saskatchewan economy is barely emerging from a recession. And if one remains unconvinced of that, one need look no further than recent employment numbers that show a shrinking workforce and an increasing unemployment roll where most areas in this province now qualify for the unemployment benefit extensions offered by the federal government in its own March budget.
In fact, it鈥檚 not only why Wall鈥檚 throne speech had little to say but also why the Sask. Party鈥檚 election campaign was so low-key.
鈥淲e didn鈥檛 make a lot of election promises,鈥� Wall said in a prepared statement last week, acknowledging that Saskatchewan can鈥檛 afford much right now. That said, Wall vowed to keep 鈥渙ne significant promise鈥� 鈥� 鈥渢o keep Saskatchewan strong.鈥� He further added that means a three-fold approach of keeping the economy, the province鈥檚 finances and Saskatchewan鈥檚 place in this country strong. His problem, however, is that there seems little in his throne speech that will help accomplish that.
Admittedly, it is always a mistake to forget about the good things happening in the province while overplaying the controversies. Heaven knows, a lot of ink has been spilled over the Global Transportation Hub (GTH) and other over-spending related to the Regina by-pass.
While important, they do not solely define what鈥檚 going on in the economy that鈥檚 impacting people. That said, what is being accomplished is minute compared to the impact of the oil sector downturn. This was something last week鈥檚 Saskatchewan throne speech clearly acknowledged when it spoke of those who 鈥渨ould shut down major parts of the Saskatchewan economy and put thousands of hard-working Saskatchewan people out of work ... all in the name of some misguided dogma that has no basis in reality.鈥�
This serious concern regarding a decline in oil revenue for whatever reason has been acknowledged by Wall in another way 鈥� his talk of the need for 鈥渢ransformative change鈥� in government spending. Last week that extended to talk of province-wide education and health boards and the need for a 鈥渞isk analysis鈥� of SaskTel that now stands as a small, isolated carrier.
The re-elected Sask. Party has much to deal with. Unfortunately, the throne speech wasn鈥檛 much of a start.
