PC Party Record Vindicated
 

The Saskatchewan landscape is a totally different place than it was in 1991. Saskatchewan has a stronger, more diversified economy, an economy which no longer is so dependent on the vagaries of weather and the international price of grain. The reasons for this strength are many, but primarily revolve around the industrious nature of our citizens. Give Saskatchewan people an opportunity and they will compete with anyone in the world. The Progressive Conservative government of Saskatchewan from 1982-1991 knew of these inherent strengths and sought to unleash them after decades of NDP government and socialist intervention in our economy. 

Much has been said in the years since 1991 about the debt and deficit inherited by the NDP upon coming to power in November of 1991. In fact, the NDP fought 2 election campaigns on how awful the Tories were and how they saved the province from bankruptcy. Depending on which story they tell, the figure goes from 11 billion to 14.5 and which former NDP Cabinet Minister is the saviour of the province. One thing is for sure, the NDP government changed the province to accrual accounting from the cash basis it had been on for the previous 40 years and piled all of the provinces long and short-term debt into the 92-93 year. The intervening 15 years have shown that the shortsightedness of the NDP government had more to do with politics and getting re-elected than doing a true assessment of how the previous PC government invested for the future. Every government makes mistakes and Progressive Conservatives made their fair share (no pun intended) but we believe an object assessment – a dollar for dollar comparison of expenditure and reward 15 years later begins to tell a truth long overdue. Success is not measured by what you did yesterday or tomorrow but by change which is still going strong and building societies and their economies 15 and 20 years later. By that standard of measurement, the P.C. government was a resounding success for the fundamental changes it fostered in all areas of our province. 

Our industrial sector today boasts two heavy oil upgraders – the Federated Co-op New Grade Upgrader in Regina and the Husky Oil Upgrader at Lloydminster. Both upgraders were envisioned at a time when our massive heavy oil reserves were staying locked in the ground or practically given away to American refineries because no one in Canada wanted it. Saskatchewan people were not receiving the royalties and taxes they needed from this resource. Today because of the foresight and planning and risk-taking by a Progressive Conservative government, Saskatchewan people were benefiting hugely from $60.00 for a barrel of oil, thousands of jobs in the oil industry and the ability to diversify our economy even more. The NDP said it was a bad investment. In fact, they attempted to take the New Grade Upgrader away from Co-op members in the early nineties with the flimsy excuse that it was a terrible investment by the taxpayers of Saskatchewan.  Co-op members and Progressive Conservatives have been vindicated and another NDP lie exposed. With nearly half the farm land in Canada and a natural gas industry ready to explode, Saskatchewan’s Progressive Conservative government partnered with Cargill to build the Saskferco Fertilizer plant at Belle Plaine next door to the already successful Kalium Potash Mine. 

Roy Romanow and his NDP Party said it was the worst investment made in the history of Saskatchewan. Today, it employs hundreds of people directly and indirectly, supplying fertilizer to Western Canada and the world at competitive prices, generates millions of dollars in taxes and royalties for Saskatchewan people and by conservative estimates, is now worth 2 to 2½ times the original investment of $247 million for the government’s 49% share. If it was such a terrible investment, why hasn’t the NDP government cashed in its shares and put the money to use somewhere else? Another NDP lie exposed. During the 1980’s, the once vibrant uranium industry in Saskatchewan was stagnant, held down by depressed world prices and the rejection of a refinery to manufacture nuclear fuel by the NDP government of Allan Blakeney. 

Something had to be done. Saskatchewan’s P.C. government began talks with the Federal P.C. government to amalgamate the Crown Corp set up by the NDP to intrude into the uranium industry SMDC with the Federal Crown Corp Eldorado Nuclear to create a new entity which could drive exploration and development and excitement in the uranium industry.  Saskatchewan Progressive Conservatives believe then, as they do now, that the uranium fuel cycle could be a major driving force for decades to come but that long-term planning, corporate restructuring and financial resources were needed to make this possible. 

The new entity was called Cameco Corporation and it was taken to the markets in 1990 with an initial share offering. The shares entered the market at around $14.00/share. Cameco’s success over the years as the pre-eminent uranium miner in the province and a global producer of gold and other minerals around the globe means that Cameco shares have quadrupled in price.  In fact, the shares which the government of Saskatchewan retained at the time of formation have been sold off over the last 15 years by the NDP government for $1.1 billion – usually just before election time in order to come up with balanced budgets to buy votes. The proceeds of those shares were supposed to be used to further develop the uranium fuel cycle, creating more jobs and revenue for the province not squandered making NDP politicians look good when they never had a good thing to say about the development of Cameco or the nuclear industry. Another NDP lie exposed. 

Power generation in Saskatchewan had lagged behind for years – with all of the new industrial development taking place, electrical generation needed upgrading. For generations, people in southeast Saskatchewan had dreamed about taming the floods on the Souris River and creating permanent water bodies for potable water, livestock, industry and recreation. The need for new coal fired generation was married to the Rafferty-Alameda dams project to create the water resources needed to sustain southeast Saskatchewan. Saskatchewan partnered with American interests downstream to create a project which today shines as a stunning example of what Saskatchewan people can do when partnered with a government which has foresight and courage to look into the future for the good of its citizens. The NDP did everything to block the project, driving up costs of construction and making the claim that the dams would never fill with water and would be an environmental disaster. Progressive Conservatives across this province can be proud of their resiliance and fifteen years later, can see the fruits of their labour all across southeast Saskatchewan. Another NDP lie exposed. 

It became very apparent during the 1980’s that people were becoming increasingly aware of the environment and the need for all of us to practice stewardship. Litter caused by used bottles, cans and other refuse was a major problem along our highways, streets and parks. Something had to be done. At the same time, there was a major change taking place in regards to our citizens who were physically or mentally challenged. No longer was it simply a matter of institutionalizing people and forgetting about them. In fact, people had been sterlized by the government in an earlier era, often against their will so that children would not be born to handicapped people.  These two significant challenges were married together by the Progressive Conservative government to create Sarcan Recycling. 

Legislation was passed to require a deposit on returnable items such as cans and bottles and people who previously hardly ever achieved full-time employment were now given the opportunity to earn a regular paycheque like everyone else and become inter-active members of society. Today, that initiative has grown to include items like milk jugs, juice boxes and any glass items. Sarcan is something everyone in the province now takes for granted – it has become an institution helping all of us. Progressive Conservatives should take great pride every time they walk into a Sarcan Depot.

In the same vain, it was recognized that there was a whole class of individuals in our society which did not have the opportunity to put in place some type of retirement plan or pension plan. These were primarily women – farm wives, single moms, people in rural areas and small towns who were at the lower ends of the work force and simply didn’t fit into any existing structure of retirement planning. Saskatchewan Progressive Conservative government was determined to try and fix this inequity. The result was the Saskatchewan Pension Plan, a plan which finally gave hope to many of our citizens that in old age, they would have some form of modest security. It was one of the first things canceled when the NDP come to power in November of 1991 and was only reinstated by the public outcry of our citizens and the diligent work of P.C. MLAs in the Legislative Assembly. Shame on the NDP party for picking on the most vulnerable in our society – it made a lie of their party ideals. 

The forestry sector was another area where years of NDP government neglect and meddling meant this huge Saskatchewan resource and the jobs that awaited development must be tackled. Once again, a government-owned enterprise was in bad need of being sold, the private sector brought in and sound long-term development taking place. P.A. Pulp was sold to Weyerhauser Corp, paper mills were built, saw mills upgraded and thousands of jobs created in northern Saskatchewan. Reforestation was no longer haphazard and new uses were found for tree species that previously were largely ignored. The fact that some of the forestry projects begun by the PC government have not faired well 20 years later is a reflection on the current government and its refusal to do things like co-generation using wood chips as fuel that have driven Weyerhauser and others from this province. Some will say Meadow Lake Pulp should never have been built. They may be correct, but Progressive Conservatives at least tried to use our resources and better our people – particularly our First Nations people when nothing else but welfare was available. 

Major advances in the province during the 1980’s were not limited to large industrial enterprises. One of the myths perpetrated by the NDP was that the debt incurred by the P.C. government was limited to their rural power base. Nothing was further from the truth with the major cities getting initiatives which to this day contribute economically, socially and culturally to the benefit of all and have over time, paid back the expenditures made on them. What price would you put on City Hospital in Saskatoon and the expansions to St. Paul’s and University Hospital? The new Ag College on the U of S has led to direct jobs and the creation of the Ag Biotech Sector so visible at Innovation Place and whether you like the location or not, no one can dispute that Credit Union Place (Sask Place) has made an ongoing contribution to Saskatoon and area. Both Cameco and the Potash Corp of Saskatchewan both of which were major privatizations by the Progressive Conservative government, both of which the NDP said would flee the province and not pay their fair share are solidly entrenched as good corporate citizens helping build our province. Their success 15 years after the NDP coming back to power is a testament to the strength of those organizations. 

Similarly, Regina reaped tremendous benefits besides the New Grade upgrader. Farm Credit Canada, the largest agricultural lender in Canada is now headquartered out of Regina with dozens of jobs that used to be in Ottawa. Crown Life has changed its name several times and is not quite as large as it once was, but the fact remains the taxpayers of Saskatchewan got this investment back, Regina got several hundred new citizens and taxpayers and the social fabric of Regina and area was enhanced with a host of new ideas and cultures it wouldn’t have otherwise. The creation of the Kramer Imax Theatre in the old power building and the moving of the McKenzie Art Gallery to the Tommy Douglas Building have both stood the test of time and enhanced Regina and southern Saskatchewan for ever. Phillips Cable and the Water Corp, located at Moose Jaw are 20 year old successes as is the locating of the Saskatchewan Crop Insurance in Melville along with Babcock Wilox – the firm the NDP government has now partnered with to develop “clean coal” technology in our power plants – Babcock and Wilox is here because Progressive Conservatives invited them here. 

Interestingly, the other partner chosen to partner with SaskPower is none other than Hitachi Corp Canada headquartered out of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan bringing the latest in power plant turbine technology to North America. They would not be here with their jobs, paying taxes and helping to build our economy if the Progressive Conservative government hadn’t invited them, hadn’t built Shand Power Plant and created Rafferty-Alameda. Another investment paid back with dividends to spare. Another set of NDP lies. 

And last, but certainly not least, and the hardest initiative to qualify and access was the Progressive Conservative commitment to agriculture and rural communities. The 1980’s were next to the 1930’s – the most difficult period in Saskatchewan’s history in which to govern. Interest rates in 1982-83 hit 21-22% levels. Inflation was running into double digits and world commodity prices began to crater for items like potash, uranium, wheat, oil and coal. Farmers and homeowners were losing their farms and homes to the banks and mortgage companies at a pace to match the 1930’s. Progressive Conservatives stepped up to the plate, putting in place interest rate protection. Farms, businesses and homes were saved for a better day. Three of the worst years of drought ever recorded in our province ravaged crops and lives and our government was there to backstop those in need. The ag programs called “GRIP” and “NISA” were developed to try and let farmers help themselves by putting away in the good times and having something to fall back on in the bad. The provincial cow herd grew from 700,000 to 1.1 million by 1991 – a move which would prove to have tremendous benefits for the province later in the decade as livestock prices rapidly escalated providing renewed strength to the ag sector and diversifying our ag base. The choices in agriculture are always very difficult because most of the forces influencing successes are beyond the capability of the provincial government to significantly influence. The Progressive Conservative government invested heavily into irrigated agriculture along the Lake Diefenbaker basin in an attempt to drought proof a large area of Saskatchewan and provide new opportunities for ag diversification. Fifteen years later, those dividends are beginning to appear with processing, cattle feeding, ethanol production and feed security that we would never have had if Progressive Conservatives not done the long-term planning, setting the table for the future. 

How can the NDP or anyone else say today that rural gasification, three phase power and rural health care were bad for our province? Have they paid back every cent spent – who knows? 52 rural hospitals were closed in early 90’s. Are we better off? I don’t think so and as time goes by, more and more people are coming to the conclusion that Saskatchewan would be a truly sorry place if we had let NDP governments do our building.  The building of Progressive Conservatives between 1982 and 1991 have sustained this province over the last 15 years. There are many new opportunities to be taken advantage of, new projects to build and new people to bring to our province. 

Now is the time for Progressive Conservatives to come forward and begin building anew. None of the other political alternatives in this province – not the NDP – not the soul-less Sask Party – not the fractious Liberals can build like Tories.  The next time we will do more, do it smarter, more cost-effective and communicate our accomplishments and not let our political adversaries set the agenda.