Raw Adoration

If this picture looks like anything other than Brad's fawning idolization of Stephen Harper, I'll eat every scrap of the equalization court challenge Wall so kindly tore up.

He also looks just about the right size in the picture to fit in Harper's pocket. Which is good, because he seems to have already made himself a home there.

How Soon We Forget

Let's jump in the Way-Back Machine to a glorious time when the SP, then in opposition, gave a fuck about the province:

First, I want to state in the strongest terms the Saskatchewan Party, Saskatchewan’s Official Opposition, stands in full support and agreement with the Premier and the government of Saskatchewan [emphasis mine] on the solution:

The federal government should immediately agree to a Saskatchewan Energy Accord that allows Saskatchewan to retain 100% of our non-renewable resource revenues
beginning in the 2005-06 fiscal year and continuing through 2012.
(Equalization Debate Speaking Notes for Brad Wall, March 15/05)

While we're back in 2005, let's visit Stephen Harper of the federal Conservatives, then in Opposition, to see what he had to say:

The Prime Minister [Paul Martin] is also failing Saskatchewan on equalization. The government promised to reform the equalization program in 2004 for Saskatchewan. The government now says it will not get to that until at least 2006, costing Saskatchewan over $750 million in lost revenue.

When will the Prime Minister overrule his finance minister and make the changes necessary, so Saskatchewan does not lose this money?
(Hansard, November 16, 2005)

But now we see what the trappings of power do to people. When the Conservatives took power, they gave Saskatchewan $225 million -- less than a third of what Harper himself is on record saying Saskatchewan deserved from the Liberals. But Harper definitely should not be challenged on this: he was pissed off by the NDP and their stance that the Conservatives should honour their 2006 election promise to Saskatchewan, and when the SP took power, Wall said Harper "made it clear" in a January meeting that the NDP's lawsuit should be dropped (Prince George Citizen, March 17/08).

Let us now return to the dismal present, when we find Mr. Harper's lapdog has told Saskatchewan's people they may as well piss up a rope as expect that money.

At stake is about $800 million in federal transfers annually, according to provincial calculations.

But [Justice Minister Don] Morgan said Saskatchewan is on an economic roll and does not want to go "cap in hand" to Ottawa looking for a handout.

The federal government is also doing its share for Saskatchewan, said Morgan, pointing to $240 million allotted in the budget to help the province build a carbon-capture system for coal plants.

"We're getting very large amounts of money from the federal government and we don't want a litigation to be an impediment," said Morgan.

"If we get the money, that's all my concern is. The label that's on it to me doesn't make a lot of difference. As a province we want to maximize the amount of money that's coming here — it's coming, let's just take it."
(CBC, July 10/08)

And this here seems to be the crux of it all. Thanks to climbing resource prices, we are rolling in money right now. So how can we go to Ottawa and quibble about a few paltry million? It'd be different if we didn't have $2 billion sitting in the bank right now, and if Ottawa weren't kicking us some scraps of the equalization money we're owed. If we don't get money from the feds, can't we just turn on the money tap?

No, we can't. We can't just assume money is going to magically appear. What matters is stewardship.

This entire time, Wall has stuck very closely to the line of turning Saskatchewan's current boom into a lasting prosperity. But with all the money coming in, Wall and his buddies are being lazy. They've forgotten -- or, more likely, never knew -- that they need to be good stewards of the province's income as well as the expenses. They can't just continue to pretend a debt of $800 million doesn't exist year after year and expect things to magically work themselves out.

Saskatchewan's money should be staying in Saskatchewan, not going to Ontario so the Conservatives can secure more votes. We gave you a majority government, Mr. Wall. The least you can do in return is fairly steward this prosperity you seem so enamoured with.

Mandryk Sees the Light

Murray -- God bless him -- is less than kind in his assessment of Wall's decision to drop the equalization challenge:

Simply put, Wall and his government have allowed themselves to be bullied by Harper. The big brother has taken the little brother's allowance, threatening him bodily harm if he dares tell mom.

And Wall's determination to keep big brother happy instead of looking out for Saskatchewan people's interests is deplorable on several counts.

First, it simply rewards bad behaviour. It might not be the Saskatchewan Party's role to enforce political ethics, but make no mistake that Wall is not only allowing the federal Conservatives to get away with a broken promise. Far worse, the Saskatchewan Party is not only shilling for its federal big brother, but also engaging in a little deceit of its own.
(Leader-Post, July 12/08)

Murray goes on to say that we're owed $3 billion since the Conservatives originally made this promise in 2004, and that we'd fools if we believe anything other than Saskatchewan's equalization money -- promised to us by the feds -- is going to flow into Ontario and Quebec so the Conservatives can shore up more seats in the next election.

This is our payment for electing 13 Conservative MPs: use our money to buy votes where it matters.

How does this differ from the Liberals and their "Green Shift"? Or, right: it doesn't. Saskatchewan has lots of money but few votes, so now both the Liberals and the Conservatives are going to suck one away from us and put it where they can get the other. We've been sold out by two parties, neither of whom cares how many seats they get from this backwater landfill, so long as they get our money.

This is sickening and deplorable -- politics at its worst. My province deserves better than this.

In His Back Pocket

In this breaking story, we learn that Wall is as useless as a third tit when it comes to speaking out against Ottawa. But I suppose it's kind of difficult to do that when the federal Conservatives graciously provided half the Sask Party's legislative staff after the election.

The comments came after the Saskatchewan Party government refused to allow debate in the legislature Monday on an emergency motion on equalization. The motion - which was originally unanimously passed in the assembly in March 2005 - called for fair treatment from Ottawa on equalization.

Calvert suggested something has intervened to change the mind of the SaskParty.

"They were willing to stand up against Liberals, but when it comes to standing up against Conservatives, not a chance. They'll sooner sell out the people of Saskatchewan than stand up against this Conservative prime minister," said Calvert.

"They have decided they're just going to roll over and take instruction from Ottawa."
(CNews - Canadian Press, March 17, 2008)

After rolling over, Wall sat up, begged, and played dead. Then he brought Harper his newspaper and slippers before curling up at his feet.

Dion, for his part, showed up shortly thereafter with Harper's pipe, bowl, and fiddlers three.

Mandryk Drops the Bomb

In today's column, Mandryk sounds like he's almost as pissed off about equalization as I am. Which is awesome, because it's moved him to expose the elephant in the room: Harper now has a lot of control over our provincial government. First he gets Wall to drop the equalization challenge (which Cathie from Canada has more on), then he gets him to support tying the $1 billion trust fund to the next federal budget, and now he's got the whole government doing backflips over this paltry $36 million payout.

I don't know why Wall finds himself so deep in Harper's pocket. Danny Williams certainly doesn't have any trouble speaking up.

And while I'm at it, I'm sick to death of Wall trotting out his pet line of turning this current boom into a lasting prosperity. You what would help with that, Brad? $800 million a year.