Saskatchewan Seems To Have Turned The Corner...

Throne speech reveals remaining Saskatchewan government priorities


Angela Hall , Leader-Post

Published: Wednesday, October 22, 2008
REGINA -- A day after unveiling major tax initiatives, Premier Brad Wall's throne speech pledged to spread Saskatchewan's wealth a little further with help for low-income seniors and people with disabilities.

"We still have reason to be optimistic in the midst of market turmoil because of the very likely chance that we have for continued growth and momentum in our economy," Wall told reporters prior Lt.-Gov. Gordon Barnhart's delivery of the speech in the legislature.

"But it's also the understanding of this government that the resources that drive that growth don't belong to the government. They belong to the people of Saskatchewan and so people of Saskatchewan should be sharing in the benefits of the development of that resource."

A main component of the throne speech was the financial package the government had announced a day earlier, which included income tax reductions, richer low-income tax benefits, a debt paydown, a promise to spend more on infrastructure next year, plus nearly $2 billion left in the government's reserves.

The speech today also pledged to hike the benefit to seniors under the Saskatchewan Income Assistance program for the first time since 1992.

Low income seniors looking to make their homes safer will also be able to a get free home audit, and basic security devices such as deadbolts and window latches installed.

Wall said people with physical and intellectual disabilities meanwhile face an wait lists for support or housing programs that are too long.

"A wait list for these programs has grown to include over four hundred women and men," said the speech delivered by Barnhart.

"During this session, my government will announce a plan to address this wait list and ensure persons with disabilities receive the support they need."

The government said it will also provide in its next budget "equitable income support" for those with disabilities, as well has change the amount people can earn on social assistance before their support payments are reduced.

A large portion of the throne speech focussed on a commitment to crack down on crime stemming from gang activity.

Wall said the government will introduce a new Witness Protection Act that will help protect potential witnesses from threats of violence and intimidation. The premier said it will "complement" what the federal government has in place.

A new revenue-sharing formula to help municipalities meet the challenges of growth is expected to be in the 2009 budget, the speech indicated. However, the long-term solution to the education property tax issue may not be as near. Wall said the government would like to make the permanent changes sooner than the end of its four-year mandate, as was originally promised, but will be "cautious and prudent."

The speech also revealed the government's plans to introduce a "Saskatchewan first" policy that directs Crown corporations to focus on in-province investments, table legislation to pave the way for Senate elections and create a new agency called Innovation Saskatchewan to support research activities in the province.

NDP Leader Lorne Calvert said he couldn't argue with some components of the throne speech, saying the steps the government took in its financial package Tuesday could have been instituted by his own party.

But Calvert said the premier is basing the premise of the throne speech on the notion that "next year country" has arrived in Saskatchewan, while many families in the province are still waiting.

Some changes should be made today to help them, Calvert said.

"My criticism is not so much in terms of the substance of some of the directions in the throne speech, it is some of the timing," Calvert said.

"The price of energy is going up now. The price of rents are going up now. They don't wait for next year," he said.

"My question is why not move quicker, with greater determination, and now."

Calvert also questioned the premier's promise of a "Saskatchewan first" investment policy for the Crowns, saying that was in place under his previous NDP government. Some of the out-of-province investments that were made also proved lucrative for Crowns, Calvert said.

Other initiatives outlined in the throne speech include:

- the introduction of an "Arts Professions Act" to increase protection for artists and their intellectual property;

- improvements to the Graduate Retention Program, which currently provides a tuition rebate spread over seven years for graduates of post-secondary institutions who remain in the province; and,

- a scholarship program designed for immediate family of fallen soldiers.

http://www.canada.com/reginaleaderpo...9-f94c7eae54e4

Highlights of Tuesday's fiscal initiatives


The Leader-Post

Published: Wednesday, October 22, 2008


- The province will offer the highest family-based tax exemptions in Canada, leading to $1,320 in tax savings per year for a family of four.

- The basic personal exemption and the spousal exemption, both currently $8,945, will each increase by $4,000.

- The child tax credit of $2,795 will go up another $2,000.

- There will be up to $440 in tax cuts for single taxpayers.

- Under the plan, a family can now earn up to $41,300 before they start to pay any provincial income tax. "That's the highest level of any province and it's one more reason Saskatchewan is the best place in Canada to earn a living and build a life," Premier Brad Wall said.

- An estimated 80,000 residents will no longer pay provincial income tax.

- Under the Saskatchewan Low Income Tax Credit, a single individual will receive $216, up from $108. A family with two children will get $600, up from $378.

- The provincial debt is to be reduced by an additional $500 million to $4.2 billion, its lowest level since 1988.

- The province is to retain $1.9 billion in the financial security fund.

- The provincial government is committed to a 50-per-cent increase to infrastructure funding in the 2009-10 budget.

http://www.canada.com/reginaleaderpo...e-008b63ae4777

This is the first time in my adult life that a Politician has made me look forward to filing my taxes, and
this is only October!!! I know I'm not getting some kind of gift, and only getting to keep more of my
own money, but I'm (and everyone else here in Saskatchewan is) getting to keep more of my (our) own
money!!!

I believe when the Sask.Party came into power, the province had a bit under 7 billion dollars
in debt. In only half of their first term in office, the provincial debt will have been reduced by 38%.
Now much of that is due to resource prices spiking this year, but still.....Wow!!!

does anyone still live in saskatchewan?

The population has been slowly growing the last couple of years. The city with the most people
born in Saskatchewan living in it happens to still be Calgary though, to the best of my knowledge.

Saskatchewans Population in 2008 1,010,146
Saskatchewans Population in 2007 990,212
.................................................. ......19,934 increase in the last year.

OK....I thought someone would jump in here (positively or negatively) in some rant
about Saskatchewan. I'm pretty happy about how things have progressed out here
in the last couple of years and was ready to defend (while creating an awareness)
my elation. Oh well....I'm going to go walk my dogs...

Ron, I love Saskatchewan and I am happy that it looks like the province is doing well, no negative rant from me!

Right on Saskatchewan. Welcome to the shifting economy.

You know Ron, you guys are starting to make Alberta look bad, (I've been thinking of pulling the plug here and moving to Melfort). My neice is a nurse and had the forsight to move there 3 years ago. The house she bought has doubled in price since then.

I personally believe that Saskatchewan is one of the most underrated provinces out there, and most
people stereotype it based on a mindset outdated by a generation, or several generations. I just felt
it was time to create an awareness that things have changed, and are still changing.

"Are there still people in Saskatchewan?" You bet there are!!! The attitude feels good out here instead
of the 'waiting for the other shoe to drop' mentality of tougher times for generations. It's a good thing.

I say good for you and your province.
Others should be making use of your example.

regs,
scratch

How to say 'I love you' in 9 languages.


English
I Love You

Spanish
Te Amo

French
Je T'aime

German
lch Liebe Dich

Japanese
Ai ****e Imasu

Italian
Ti Amo

Chinese
Wo Ai Ni

Swedish
Jag Alskar


Saskatchewan
Nice Ass, Get in the truck

8o8o

Source: Don't cut payments, Wall says

<H2>Don't cut payments, Wall says


James Wood, Saskatchewan News Network; Canwest News Service

Published: Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Premier Brad Wall will be offering support but also a warning to Stephen Harper at the Nov. 10 First Ministers conference called by the prime minister on Tuesday.

Wall said the provinces are behind federal efforts to strengthen Canada's financial system and economy in light of the economic turmoil currently facing the world.

But as the Conservative government contemplates budget cuts or a potential deficit, the premier said it must avoid chopping transfer payments to the provinces.

"I think we've seen the folly of federal budgets being balanced on the backs of provincial transfer payments in the past when it happened in the 1990s, because eventually those things, there had to be redress, the federal government had to fix those imbalances," Wall told reporters at the provincial legislature.

Wall said there are areas of federal-provincial duplication of services where the federal government could cut instead, such as "environmental processes." He said there could still be "very onerous" environmental regulations with less bureaucracy.

This will be the first formal First Ministers conference held by Harper, who won another minority government in the Oct. 15 federal election.

Wall is seen as having a particularly close relationship to Harper, while other premiers, such as Newfoundland and Labrador's Danny Williams have relationships with the PM that could only be charitably called frosty.

Wall warns against any federal policies that favour one region over another in response to the economic crisis but said provinces are stressing unity.

Wall said this meeting is not the appropriate venue to raise the province's concerns with the Conservative call to ban the export of raw bitumen to countries that have worse greenhouse gas emission standards than Canada.

</H2>

I wonder how Steven Harper will spank Danny Williams over this next term without punishing
the people of Newfoundland for this "ABC" thing...Everyone has to know it's coming, but how it
will reveal itself is the interesting question. Any guesses???

Northern Saskatchewan has to be one of the nicest places I have been, completley unspoiled and the best fishing in Canada, alot of people are moving back, guys that are working in Fort Mac are moving to Saskatoon because they have a direct flight, 4hrs to Edmonton 1hr to Saskatoon.

I wonder how Steven Harper will spank Danny Williams over this next term without punishing
the people of Newfoundland for this "ABC" thing...Everyone has to know it's coming, but how it
will reveal itself is the interesting question. Any guesses???

The news story two posts up sparked this question for me. Perhaps I need to post the
question in a different thread. I thought it would fit here due to the contrast between the
Premieres of Newfoundland and Saskatchewan in how they dealt with the Equalization
thing (both got scr*wed over but one cried and one went to work). This was from the
promises make by the Conservatives not in the Federal Election a couple of weeks ago,
but in the one before that.

This Thread: -- was started to deal with the above question.

Saskatchewan's future rosy

Saskatchewan's future rosy


Bruce Johnstone, The Leader-Post

Published: Tuesday, November 04, 2008
Saskatchewan will avoid a recession or serious economic downturn, thanks to its diversified, resource-based economy that should weather the economic storm better than most, says Scotiabank's chief economist.

"Saskatchewan is in the sweet spot because not only have the demographics turned favourable ... but the balance in what's produced here is pretty good too,'' said Warren Jestin in an interview Monday.

"You don't have everything in the oil basket. You've got oil, natural gas, uranium, potash.''

Scotiabank's latest provincial forecast, released Friday, shows Saskatchewan leading the pack in 2008 and 2009, with projected economic growth of 2.4 per cent and 1.3 per cent respectively.

That compares to a national economic growth forecast of 0.5 per cent in 2008 and negative 0.2 per cent in 2009.

Scotiabank is just the latest chartered bank to predict that Saskatchewan will lead the nation in economic growth this year and next. RBC Financial Group recently forecast the province would post 3.9 per cent growth this year and 3.5 per cent next.

Jestin is confident Saskatchewan will escape the current economic maelstrom for two reasons. The first is a growing population due to in-migration from other provinces, reversing a 20-year pattern of net out-migration.

That, in turn, will boost job growth by 1.7 per cent in 2008 and 0.6 per cent in 2009, well above the national average job growth of 1.5 per cent this year negative 0.3 per cent next year.

The second reason is Saskatchewan's diversified economy, which draws strength from energy resources, as well as agricultural commodities.

While commodity prices have fallen from the heady heights attained in the first half of 2008, they are by no means at rock bottom levels, Jestin said.

Take, for example, oil prices, which have fallen below $70 US a barrel in recent weeks. Jestin said that price would have seemed attractive to producers 18 to 24 months ago.

Besides, any kind of positive growth is good at a time when the world is facing "a global economic outlook that is very challenging,'' Jestin said.

"In a period of economic decline in Canada, as whole, having positive growth is really good news,'' Jestin said.

Interesting Story....
Source: --

StarTek has fallen victim to Saskatchewan's competitive labour market, resulting in the closure of its Regina call centre.

When it closes its doors on March 2, StarTek's local centre will leave 266 people unemployed. At one time, the call centre -- based out of the third floor of the former Eaton's store in the Cornwall Centre -- employed more than 900 people.
"The reason we are closing the site really has more to do with the fact that I can't hire to the capacity that I need for this site. That's the biggest, biggest thing," said Wendy Hofford, site director for the Regina centre.

Hofford told employees about the closure on Monday.
"(The employees) have seen it for a while in the fact that there is declining people in our site. They were fully aware. I think to actually hear it was more realistic. There was mixed emotions."

Hofford said hiring to the necessary levels has been a challenge for the Regina location for a while. With a starting wage of $10 per hour, many employees were leaving for higher-paying jobs.

"It is tough to be competitive in the market," Hofford admitted.
The Denver-based StarTek opened the call centre in Regina in July 2003, which was its first Western Canadian operation. To entice the company to the Queen City, the provincial government provided more than $1.75 million for job training while the City of Regina offered a $1.5 million, five-year property tax abatement.
The company's Regina location isn't its first call centre to close due to hiring difficulties. Last week, StarTek announced the closure of a call centre in Petersburg, Va., also due to recruiting challenges.

"In the past couple of months, we've opened some centres and we've closed some centres," StarTek spokeswoman Susan Liehe said in a phone interview from Denver. "It isn't that we're seeing some sort of downward trend, we're actually next week opening a new location in Arkansas. It is kind of ironic the overall goal of the company is to grow but this particular site in Regina, particularly with recruitment challenges, is closing."

Some of the volume from the Regina centre will be picked up by other centres in Canada, Liehe said.

John Hopkins, CEO of the Regina and District Chamber of Commerce, admitted that StarTek's closure is the biggest casualty of the tight labour force.
"I haven't heard of anything as large as this in terms of not being able to fill positions that result in a closure. This is a pretty big hit and it's a wakeup call for all of us that we need to work even harder at addressing this issue that doesn't have any easy solutions," said Hopkins.

The local centre is looking to partner with other community employers and possibly do a job fair to help the StarTek employees find other work, Hofford said, adding workers will also receive training for putting together resumes and applying for jobs online. Employees have also been encouraged to apply for jobs at StarTek's other call centre locations in Canada and the U.S.

With other large call centres including Staples, Sears and CIBC also located in Regina, Hopkins noted that StarTek's closure may also indicate an oversaturation of these types of businesses in the city.

However, while the competitive labour market may have proved fatal for StarTek's Regina centre, it will also provide plenty of opportunities for the company's employees.

"If you're going to be on the unemployment line in any province in Canada, this is probably the best one to be in right now," Hopkins said.
© Copyright (c) The Regina Leader-Post

Related Story: --

Since this budget, there have been the following lay offs (mainly Saskatoon/area)
Mosaic 1,000 +
Potash 940
Agrium 400
Cameco < 100
Shore Gold < 100

As well, what Saskatchewan leads in, Consumer spending, is no where near where their wage growth is!

13 % more spending
4% more wages - and oh yeah, inflation was 3.5% - some "boom"

Moderator's Edit: Link removed. Your post should show up now, Dirk.

hurts a little that i can't point out that maybe consumer spending 3 times+ wage growth may mean Saskatchewan's economy isn't quite as solid as we think. I think a fair comment.

--

Saskatchewan a jobs 'hot spot' in Canada

(CNN) -- Normally, "hot spot" isn't the first phrase that comes to mind when talking
about Saskatchewan, Canada.

But with most of Canada suffering from devastating job losses, this cold province is
becoming exactly that.

It's an asterisk to the entire country when it comes to the economic climate, and
Premier Brad Wall is shouting it as loud as he can.

"It's a great time to come to Saskatchewan," said Wall, who even called the
Toronto Star newspaper to tout his province's economic success and let Ontarians
know there were jobs for the taking.

"For those who are losing their jobs, we need them to know we have thousands of
jobs open right now in both the private and public sector," Wall said. "We have a
powerful story to tell, a story of success and that's something we want to share
with those who are struggling."

Wall's province is one of the exceptions to the unemployment increases battering
provinces across Canada. -- unemployment rate fell to 4.1 percent in
January from 4.2 percent in December, making it the only province recording a
decline. In Ontario and the city of Toronto, unemployment rates rose to 7.2
percent and 8.5 percent respectively. To the west, British Columbia shed 68,000
full-time jobs in January.

More Saskatchewan jobs should be on the way. To stave off any possible recession,
Wall announced a $500 million infrastructure "booster shot" to help keep the
economy strong.

"All across the country, industries are getting quite ill," Wall said. "We aren't
immune to it. We see some impacts in terms of layoffs and new vehicle purchases
slowing off, and so we want to be proactive in staying ahead of the curve."

On Tuesday, the Conference Board of Canada released a report that said
Saskatchewan will likely continue to lead the nation in economic growth in 2009
because of the infrastructure investment and tax reductions.

The province has also been reaping the benefits of an influx from nearby Alberta.
When the government in Alberta decided to raise the oil royalty rates, oil
exploration and expedition companies decided to move their operations to
Saskatchewan in hopes of making more money.

With the province's growing opportunities, David Montgomery, president of
Calgary's Qwest Haven Relocation Services, said he is moving more people to
Saskatchewan each day.

"Alberta has always been the gravy train of oil," said Montgomery, who is also a
former resident of Regina, the capitol and second-largest city in Saskatchewan.
"But with the new royalties, oil companies are saying 'Why stay here and make less
when the opportunities right next door are even better?' Many other companies
may start to follow suit."

Montgomery said people looking to move have said that cheaper land and insurance
prices are among the other reasons they are headed to Saskatchewan.

"There, government insurance is cheaper than anywhere else in the country and it
comes with your license plates," he said. "With the amount of jobs, cheaper
opportunities and great way of life, the government there has made it very
attractive to move there."

That means more business for Wall's province and more jobs coming to the area.

Not that there's a shortage of jobs. On Tuesday night there were nearly 6,000
private- and public-sector jobs on the Web site Saskjobs.com.

A constant stream of revenue from -- and exports also buoys the
economy in the province.

Saskatchewan is the largest producer of oil in -- and exports more oil to the
United States than Kuwait. It is the leader in uranium production and produces a
third of the world's potash.

The province continues to keep ahead of the curve, Wall said, finding ways to
diversify its resources and embark on ambitious green projects and new oil
projects. The province is working with Montana on a $212 million climate change
initiative that would create the first major greenhouse gas storage project in
North America. The carbon dioxide from coal-fueled power plants would be stored
in the ground in Montana and later be withdrawn for use in oil production.

Wall also said what may be the largest discovery of sweet, light crude oil in the
southeast part of the province means it could have even more oil to work with.
The Bakken Formation could potentially have 413 billion barrels of oil, according to
the U.S. Geological Survey. That would be another huge untapped revenue gold
mine.

Despite the growth of nearly all sectors across the board, Wall cautioned that it is
possible his province may see economic stress, just later in the game than other
places.

"We need to be circumspect and prudent about promoting our province," he said.
"We are not immune; we do see the impacts. It isn't some sort of panacea or
answer to economic questions that don't exist elsewhere. We are a bit of an
asterisk that says there is some stress, but it's relatively calm here."

Wall encouraged people not to count out a move to the province based on
stereotypes that it is "only winter here," and "all of the land is just rolling hills."

"'It's a beautiful, big place where life is great and right now there's also
opportunity," he said. "I'm very, very biased, but I can't imagine a place I'd rather
be, especially with what's going on economically around the world."
____________________
"Saskatchewan is the largest producer of oil in -- and exports more oil to the United States than Kuwait." (???) Isn't Alberta producing many times the
oil that Saskatchewan does still???
___________________

Saskatchewan Is The Largest Mineral Producer

It's a nearly $10 billion dollar industry
Reported By Justin Blackwell Posted March 7, 2009 - 2:09pm
Source: --

Saskatchewan is now king when it comes to mining for minerals -- and there's
room to grow.

We learned Friday that our province is now the largest mineral producer in all of
Canada...out-producing Ontario for the first time ever.

Saskatchewan now accounts for 21 and a half per cent of the countries mineral
production -- making it a nearly ten billion dollar industry.

Pamela Schwann with the province's Mining Association insists there's room to
expand the 10-billion dollar industry as well.

"The Potash companies have already announced over $7 billion dollars in expansions
to the existing operations, and we've seen commitment of several billion dollars in
the ground already. The uranium industry has announced investments of $2 billion
dollars in their facilities."

She notes that Ontario and Quebec have been the mining strongholds for
decades...and Saskatchewan's performance in 2008 underscores the shift our
economy has undergone in recent years.
_____________________

This is the part where I pat myself on the back.

Was a fun week again this year.

My biggest concern with Saskatistan is that just when things start going good, they'll re-elect the NDP. My wife's family is from there and I will consider moving there once the kids are grown if I can be confident the NDP won't be coming back.

If you cross your fingers Cannuck, I'll cross mine. Lots of good
things have happened out here lately that coincide with the change
in government, and the NDP supporters claim it's all due to the things
that the NDP put in motion. I believe much of the good comes from
business and investment moving in knowing the NDP was out for
a while at least.

The Sask. Party has P.O.'d the unions (big out here) with essential
service legislation, and that's their only real black-mark so far, and it
is actually very popular with most of the non-union employees out here
after the snow-plow operators strike (commencing at the announcement
of a blizzard) a couple of years back.

Or you can look at it this way Ron. We are being passed over by the crisis because of the strong public ownership in the provincial resource sector. The increase in resource develope was kick startd by having the public cash to do it. It never was a party policy that made the changes just high demand for the products we have. It takes about 8 years from discovery to extraction when it comes to minerals so this all came long before the SK party or an NDP policy to invest more public money. It was and still is al based on market demands and oz to tonne extraction cost ratios.

Now in all fairness, the success of saskatchewan is related to diversified natural wealth, a spike in oil prices and ensuring that money was invested elsewhere (foresight that oil would come back down).

Now some of that is no doubt the domain of the party in power, and some it may or may not be the effect of the last government (or more likely whomever was in a generation ago that set things in motion)

But alot of it is regardless of the government. Its private individuals and the natural worlds wealth. You could have elected a turnip and the people of Saskatchewan would be well off, largely in part do to the people of Saskatchewan.