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April

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Large crowd gathers to celebrate the expansion of the Aboriginal Students Centre at the University of Regina

Apr 04, 2013 10:51 am | Saskatchewan, Wascana
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Glad to join Mayor Fougere + Regina Opportunities Commission announcing creation of Tourism Regina!

Apr 04, 2013 9:32 am | Saskatchewan, Wascana
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Pulling for Hayley Wickenheiser's quick recovery. And best wishes to Cdn women defending their World Championship!
Apr 03, 2013 7:07 am | Saskatchewan, Wascana
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OPTIMISM FADES FOR EFFECTIVE RAIL SERVICE LAW After years of delay (and a few temporary flashes of hope), the Harper government is setting up yet another disappointment for those who depend upon railways to move their goods. Since 2006, the shippers of agricultural commodities, forest products, minerals, chemicals, fertilizers, manufactured goods – pretty well the whole gamut of things moved by rail – have expressed serious concerns about deficient railway services. Transportation failures cost them a lot of money and damage Canada’s economic efficiency. Finally, in 2008, the Conservatives agreed to launch a formal “rail service review” to examine shippers’ complaints. But it took until 2009 before a panel was appointed to do the work. By the fall of 2010, that panel reported what was already painfully obvious. Rail services were indeed substandard, and the reason was an imbalance in market power – i.e., most shippers were “captives” of the railways, with no meaningful competition and no effective legal recourse. The panel described how many shippers were getting the railway services they ordered only about 50% of the time. Measures would be required in the law to even things up. Just before the 2011 federal election, the government said it agreed with all that. But right after the election, instead of acting, it launched yet another study – which finished in the spring of 2012 with nothing further being resolved. After six more months of stalling, legislation was finally tabled in Parliament (Bill C-52) last December. C-52 purports to give every shipper the right to have an enforceable “service level agreement” with the railway it relies upon. If such an agreement cannot be successfully negotiated between the parties, the shipper is entitled to go to the Canadian Transportation Agency to have an agreement arbitrated. Initial reaction to C-52 was favourable – until shippers began to examine the fine print. Among other problems, the legislation does not include any effective definition of what services the railways would be obliged to supply. It uses the same old vague and inadequate language that has been in the law for a long time. That’s part of the problem. And instead of providing for damages to go to shippers when railways fall down on the job, C-52 creates “monetary penalties” (i.e., fines) which would go to the federal treasury. So what good is that? Meanwhile, the railways retain the unilateral right to impose demurrage costs and other charges on the shippers. The imbalance is striking. Some shippers say C-52 is better than nothing, but many are pushing for amendments to better accomplish what was originally promised. Shippers are asking for simple fairness. To date, the reaction from the Conservatives is numbing indifference.
Apr 03, 2013 6:23 am | Saskatchewan, Wascana
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Executive Director Theresa Savaria speaks at the opening of Regina's new Autism Resource Centre. Congratulations, well done!

Apr 02, 2013 5:12 pm | Saskatchewan, Wascana
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Here's an important read: dropping out of UN anti-drought organisation is just like killing the prairie tree farm + PFRA pastures http://www.theglobeandmail.com/commentary/its-not-just-the-drought-treaty-canada-is-vanishing-from-the-united-nations/article10600939/
It’s not just the drought treaty. Canada is vanishing from the United Nations
Apr 02, 2013 7:37 am | Saskatchewan, Wascana
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ELECTIONS CANADA MUST REASSURE CANADIANS Historically, Canadians have been well-served by Elections Canada as the independent agency carrying onerous responsibilities for ensuring the fairness and honesty of federal election campaigns. They have a strong international reputation for good work. Nothing could be more important. The integrity of our democracy is at stake. And the stakes have clearly escalated since the Harper Conservatives took power in 2006. Their scorched-earth tactics have presented Elections Canada with unprecedented challenges. So much so that the agency has asked for more investigators, stronger laws, more powers to preserve evidence, and stiffer penalties (including jail-time). I wouldn’t hold my breath waiting for this government to respond in any substantive way that might actually assist in the detection, punishment and prevention of Conservative campaign chicanery. But in the meantime, the onus is on Elections Canada to use the powers it already has to the fullest extent possible. And quickly! Many Canadians are growing increasingly skeptical about the legitimacy of our voting system. Elections Canada must help restore that trust. What has so soured the atmosphere? Among other things, it’s a string of serious election law violations since 2006, and most of them remain unresolved. The first major travesty was the Conservative “In-and-Out” election financing scam by which they spent more than a million dollars illegally and collected government rebates illegitimately. Such misbehaviour undoubtedly tainted the outcome of the 2006 campaign, but it wasn’t until five years later that the Conservatives were charged, and had to plead guilty, pay a fine and make restitution. Since then, other campaign controversies plagued voting in Etobicoke-Centre, a number of dubious activities are under investigation in Peterborough, the still-unresolved Robo-Call fiasco may have contaminated elections in more than 200 ridings across the country, and Peter Penashue had to resign his Labrador seat for a long series of campaign abuses. Justice delayed is justice denied. A compelling illustration is the situation in Labrador. While the mess there is still under investigation, Conservatives are trying to sweep it all under the rug with a quick byelection – i.e., by moving faster than Elections Canada. It’s no doubt uncomfortable for the agency to be constantly butting heads with the incumbent government, but Elections Canada needs to know that millions of Canadians are counting on them to fight relentlessly – and perform effectively – to preserve the integrity of our democracy. -30-
Apr 01, 2013 8:43 am | Saskatchewan, Wascana

March

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Happy Easter Sunday!

Mar 31, 2013 6:24 am | Saskatchewan, Wascana
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Just got official word that Rawlco Radio's Z99 Radiothon (March 14+15) raised $742,343 for NeoNatal Care in Regina hospitals! Congrats+ThankYou!
Mar 30, 2013 12:02 pm | Saskatchewan, Wascana
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Warm day in Regina, streets steaming with melt. Finishing Good Friday at a sacred music concert at U of R's Campion College

Mar 29, 2013 7:34 pm | Saskatchewan, Wascana
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Sorry to hear of the death of Ralph Klein. A remarkable prairie leader + colourful character. Our thoughts + prayers are with his family.
Mar 29, 2013 1:17 pm | Saskatchewan, Wascana
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Now en route to Regina after busy week fighting for fair election boundaries, decent rail service for shippers, etc. May everyone have a blessed Easter!
Mar 28, 2013 4:17 pm | Saskatchewan, Wascana
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Elections Canada not only seeking more investigators, but also new powers to investigate, get evidence + punish election fraud
Mar 28, 2013 8:41 am | Saskatchewan, Wascana
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In Question Period, Liberals lead today on HarperCons isolating Canada as only country in world NOT involved with the UN to prevent drought
Mar 28, 2013 8:38 am | Saskatchewan, Wascana
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Mar 27, 2013 4:54 pm | Saskatchewan, Wascana
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My tribute to Bob Rae in the House of Commons today http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_H7aOBZ5BWo
Ralph Goodale's Tribute to Bob Rae
Mar 27, 2013 12:51 pm | Saskatchewan, Wascana
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In Question Period, Conservative Minister for Infrastructure doesn't grasp that his budget for Building Canada Fund is being chopped by $1.5B this year and next
Mar 27, 2013 11:53 am | Saskatchewan, Wascana
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In Question Period, Bob Rae stuns HarperCons with novel suggestion of Team Canada Mission to Washington to win argument about Keystone
Mar 27, 2013 11:37 am | Saskatchewan, Wascana
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For Question Period, galleries are fuller than I've seen in a long time - here to salute Bob Rae's final day in Parliament as Liberal Leader
Mar 27, 2013 11:32 am | Saskatchewan, Wascana
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This afternoon in Parliament, I will have the honour to pay a special tribute to Bob Rae on his last day in the House as Liberal Leader!
Mar 27, 2013 8:39 am | Saskatchewan, Wascana
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Congrats to Yvonne Jones, newly nominated Liberal candidate in Labrador. She's off and running strong!
Mar 27, 2013 7:32 am | Saskatchewan, Wascana
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At HofC Transport Committee, shippers ask why railways can force shippers to pay demurrage charges, but shippers have no reciprocal power?
Mar 26, 2013 7:39 pm | Saskatchewan, Wascana
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At HofC Transport Committee, HarperCons seem indifferent to shippers needs for new law creating marketpower balance with railways
Mar 26, 2013 7:35 pm | Saskatchewan, Wascana
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Now in 2nd Parliamentary Committee today - working on legislation to give shippers a more even playing field with railways
Mar 26, 2013 12:52 pm | Saskatchewan, Wascana
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My remarks to the House of Commons Committee on the Report of the Federal Electoral Boundaries Commission for Saskatchewan 2012: Mr. Chairman, Members of the Committee - thank you for the opportunity to appear. My objection has been circulated, so I won't take your time to read through it all again. I support the report and the map produced by the majority of the Boundaries Commission in Saskatchewan -- that is, Queen's Bench Judge, Mr. Justice Ronald Mills who comes from a rural community near Prince Albert, and Professor Emeritus Dr. John Courtney from Saskatoon who is acknowledged to rank with the leading 3 or 4 political scientists in this country. Saskatchewan is proud of both of them. Through long years of experience and service they are steeped in the heritage and the values that characterize Saskatchewan. That, along with their reputations for intelligence and hard work, are probably the reasons why they were selected -- by the Chief Justice and by the Speaker respectively -- to serve on the independent, arm's length, non-partisan, quasi-judicial Boundaries Commission for Saskatchewan. I stress all this about their background and their values because both have been under attack. By robo-calls and push-polls and the like, there has been a concerted campaign to discredit the work of Judge Mills and Dr Courtney, and this Committee needs to know that these two individuals are of high standing. There was a dissenting opinion in the Commission's report, filed by the third member, David Marit. It is that dissent with which I respectfully disagree. What's "at issue" here is the strategic approach underlying redistribution in Saskatchewan. Mr Marit argues for the status quo with minimal adjustments because he supports exclusively rural OR mixed rural-urban ridings, with NO clear urban voices The majority of the commission took a different view, consistent with much of the reasoned evidence before them. They noted that Saskatchewan's population is growing and it's becoming increasingly urbanized. More than 75% of the province's people live in urban centers of all sizes -- 40% live in Regina and Saskatoon alone. And yet not one single Saskatchewan riding is distinctively urban. Not one! All 14 are either purely rural or mixed. To address that, the Commission-majority produced a measured, reasoned, balanced plan. They have not gone whole-hog in the opposite direction. They have proposed a variety of ridings that accurately represent the vast diversity that is Saskatchewan's reality. Instead of having a map that's artificially stacked 14-to-nothing against ANY distinctive urban representation whatsoever, the majority proposed a realistic blend of 6 predominantly rural ridings (one more than exists today), 5 urban ridings (3 in Saskatoon and 2 in Regina, instead of none today), and 3 largely mixed ridings. It's a fair balance. This configuration will allow both rural and urban voices to be reflected in the House of Commons, without one swamping the other, without communities of common interest being compromised or obscured. In other provinces, I note that other MPs from other parties -- including the government -- have underlined the importance of this same principle. I think of Mr Calkins from Wetaskiwin as one example. The key point here is reflected in the structure of Saskatchewan's municipal organizations. There are TWO of them, not just one. One is distinctively rural, and the other urban. Why? Because the interests they represent are different and each deserves focused, full-time attention. They are both important. They need to work well together. But each has a distinctive voice that must be heard in its own right. That’s fundamental to fairness in our democracy. If voters in either urban or rural Saskatchewan find themselves muffled or muzzled by the way riding boundaries get drawn up, they will lose faith in the fairness of elections and drop out. And that's why I disagree with the dissent, and strongly support the majority report of the Saskatchewan Commission.
Mar 26, 2013 11:02 am | Saskatchewan, Wascana
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HarperCons condemn Sask Boundaries report. They say MPs "should not accept it". But it's not up to MPs. That's why law creates a non-partisan Commission.
Mar 26, 2013 8:23 am | Saskatchewan, Wascana
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Just made my boundaries presentation to House Procedure Committee. They asked me to go first. Now they'll hear from 12 Conservatives in a row
Mar 26, 2013 8:21 am | Saskatchewan, Wascana
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Warmest wishes to Canadians of Jewish faith on the important celebration of Passover
Mar 25, 2013 12:03 pm | Saskatchewan, Wascana
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In Question Period, HarperCons can't explain why Penashue in Labrador failed to defend vital Maritime Search+Rescue
Mar 25, 2013 11:45 am | Saskatchewan, Wascana
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In Question Period, Mr Harper missing. Pandas more important than his budget or meeting Aboriginal youth after a 1600 km walk from James Bay
Mar 25, 2013 11:41 am | Saskatchewan, Wascana
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BIGGER STORIES LAST WEEK THAN THE BUDGET While most attention last week was focused on the Harper government’s 2013 budget with all its wishful thinking, missed opportunities and neglected obligations, three other events were probably of greater significance. (1) Still in the realm of Finance, just before his budget, Minister Flaherty strangely instructed his political staff to call senior officials at ManuLife Bank to convey his “displeasure” about the bank’s decision to give consumers a small break of “20 basis points” on mortgage loans. For certain qualifying customers, the going interest rate was 3.09% and ManuLife proposed to bring it down to 2.89% – just a bit better than BMO which had a mortgage product in the marketplace at 2.99%. When BMO created that rate a couple of weeks earlier, Mr. Flaherty phoned them personally to say he didn’t want to see any mortgage market competition. That’s a rather odd position for free-marketers like the Harper Conservatives. BMO held its ground despite the political pressure and kept its lower rate. But ManuLife caved, going back up to 3.09. Who knows what was actually said, promised or threatened in either conversation? But the result is an uneven playing field, less competition, and higher consumer costs — for the average home buyer in Toronto, the added cost could be over $12,000; in Regina it would be about $9,000 more. All thanks to Jim Flaherty! If he has legitimate concerns about excessive household debt, the Minister has well-established, legitimate tools to deal with those concerns. He can set the rules on down-payments, amortization periods, credit qualifications, etc. for all lenders and borrowers in an open, transparent and fully competitive way. What he shouldn’t do is distort the market with one-off personal threats or promises. Such behaviour is discriminatory, risky and unprofessional. (2) Another big story last week was news from Elections Canada that they are looking for additional qualified investigators to pursue an unprecedented flood of complaints about serious violations of election laws. Up to six new people may be engaged. It’s about time! And even six more may not be enough. Since the Harper government took power in 2006, Elections Canada has been under more pressure and scrutiny than ever before because more Canadians than ever before are worried about election misbehaviour that taints the quality of our democracy. It started with the “In-and-Out” election financing scam which took nearly five years to run to ground, through a barrage of Conservative denials and obfuscation. But in the end, the Conservatives were charged, had to plead guilty, pay a fine and make restitution. That was followed by obvious campaign problems in Etobicoke Centre, dubious events under investigation in Peterborough, the Pierre Poutine/Robo-Call fiasco which started in Guelph and may have contaminated more than 200 ridings across the country, and most recently the Peter Penashue scandal in Labrador. It falls to Elections Canada to get to the bottom of exactly what happened in each of these cases. And they must do it in a timely fashion. Before future elections roll around, Canadians need to know that the system by which they vote is clean and honest. (3) Last week also brought the sad end of Kevin Page’s distinguished tenure as Parliamentary Budget Officer. Despite never having the authority or the resources he was first promised, Mr. Page acquitted himself as a thorough, competent, professional whom Canadians and Parliamentarians counted upon for truthful, impartial, reliable information about public finances. Always dignified and respectful, he was fearless in speaking truth to power, and “power” (i.e., the Harper Conservatives) never forgave him, despite the fact that they created his office and hand-picked him for the job. They thought they had recruited a lapdog, but found him to be a genuine watchdog instead – fully dedicated to advancing the public’s right to know the truth. Stephen Harper loosed all manner of attack dogs to silence Mr. Page, but it never worked. With every Conservative assault, the PBO’s stature and reputation just continued to grow. Thanks to him, Canadians know about the deceit and mismanagement that permeated the F-35 boondoggle, the real costs of Mr. Harper’s criminal justice agenda which mimics expensive failed experiments in the United States, the impact of corporate tax cuts, structural deficits, and much more. The Conservatives could refuse to extend Kevin Page’s mandate, but they will never be able to diminish his legacy of courage and trust. -30-
Mar 25, 2013 6:31 am | Saskatchewan, Wascana
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Filipino dancers perform at Regina's Dewdney East Community Centre - celebration of cultural diversity

Mar 24, 2013 12:50 pm | Saskatchewan, Wascana
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Say what? It's the 3rd day of spring! Baseball season opens next weekend! It's gonna be soggy.

Mar 23, 2013 12:17 pm | Saskatchewan, Wascana
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Catch the final Liberal Leadership Debate from Montreal live at 11am Sask time (1pmET) - on the news channels or liberal.ca
Mar 23, 2013 9:04 am | Saskatchewan, Wascana
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HarperBudget fine print - Municipalities hit by concealed cuts to infrastructure; down by $1billion in each of next 2 years! They would be far better off with the Liberal idea of transferring the entire fed gas tax to Municipalities.
Mar 23, 2013 8:16 am | Saskatchewan, Wascana
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A sad day for public service and for Parliament as we bid a fond farewell to the courageous Kevin Page (PBO)! Thank you, sir!
Mar 22, 2013 12:59 pm | Saskatchewan, Wascana
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Elections Canada is hiring 6 more investigators to pursue election law violations. It's about time! Justice delayed is justice denied!
Mar 22, 2013 12:58 pm | Saskatchewan, Wascana
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The HarperCons' "balanced" budget in 2015 depends on cutting infrastructure money from $1.7 billion now down to $210 million next year + the next
Mar 22, 2013 9:32 am | Saskatchewan, Wascana
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FEDERAL BUDGET MORE ABOUT POLITICS THAN ECONOMICS Going into yesterday’s federal budget, the Harper government had only one discernible priority and that was disposing of its deficit by 2015 – or at least appearing to do so. But don’t hold your breath. This government has failed to meet every single projection it has ever made. A chronic string of Conservative deficits began in 2008. They were self-inflicted, starting BEFORE (not because of) the global recession. Mr. Harper had been over-spending at three-times the rate of inflation. He recklessly dismantled federal contingency reserves and prudence factors designed to guard against adverse events. And he’s been mired in red-ink ever since, adding about $150-billion to the accumulated federal debt. Yesterday’s budget projects a razor-thin surplus by 2015-16, but the arithmetic is highly suspect. It relies on gushy estimates of future economic growth, tiny reserves against unexpected problems, a manipulated downturn in infrastructure funds for municipalities, and very optimistic expectations about Revenue Canada catching tax cheaters. Mr. Harper’s “surplus” concoction also relies on key human priorities being neglected. In addition to postponing his long-promised expansion of infrastructure money for another three years (until after he claims to balance the books), he has also betrayed provinces and businesses looking for urgent action on job training. This is a big issue in a growing province like Saskatchewan. We have a real shortage of new workers with the right skills. But the Conservatives are offering just years of lip service – with no new resources. Existing federal funding is frozen at 2007 levels. Any new investment will have to come from provincial governments or the private sector. For Aboriginal people, there is nothing to fill the disgraceful gap between what the provinces invest per/child in the K-12 education of non-Aboriginal kids, and the much lower amount invested by the feds in First Nations children on-Reserve. Neither does the budget get rid of the “cap” that limits Aboriginal access to post-secondary schools. This budget continues to escalate Conservative job-killing EI payroll taxes by some $600-million every year. It does nothing to ease youth unemployment. It won’t help lower-income people get access to family tax credits. It fails to allow Canadians to voluntarily top-up their savings in the Canada Pension Plan … the list goes on. Why all this neglect and indifference? Because Mr. Harper puts his political vanity ahead of the economic well-being of middle class Canadians. They are the ones who need a pro-active budget aimed at greater fairness and real growth. But they’ll never get it from Stephen Harper.
Mar 22, 2013 9:24 am | Saskatchewan, Wascana
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HarperCons budget balance contrived with sudden growth projections, weak prudence, infrastructure cuts + overly optimistic tax enforcement
Mar 22, 2013 8:42 am | Saskatchewan, Wascana
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Talking to Sask folks about Federal Budget - disappointment that infrastructure $$ is cutback + there's no new investment in job training
Mar 21, 2013 4:07 pm | Saskatchewan, Wascana
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With Regina's Rachele Paquet at Forum for Young Cdns in Ottawa. She's an Air Cadet + a Grade 12 student at Campbell Coll.

Mar 20, 2013 5:29 pm | Saskatchewan, Wascana
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At least 2 Cons MPs, Bernier+Rathgeber, criticize FinMin Flaherty 4 messing w/ mortgages on eve of fed budget -very peculiar. #cdnpoli
Mar 20, 2013 4:16 pm | Saskatchewan, Wascana
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House of Commons votes tonight on financing government for first months of 2013-14. Bass-akwards process, since all numbers change in budget tomorrow
Mar 20, 2013 3:23 pm | Saskatchewan, Wascana
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On Flaherty manipulating mortgage rates - he has power to set rules across the board; should not cut one-off deals with individual banks
Mar 20, 2013 3:00 pm | Saskatchewan, Wascana
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BLOG: Mr. Mulcair’s memory seems a bit faulty http://www.ralphgoodale.ca/blog/mulcairs-memory-bit-faulty/
Mr. Mulcair's memory seems a bit faulty - Ralph Goodale
Mar 20, 2013 1:35 pm | Saskatchewan, Wascana
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Interesting: in Question Period, Conservative MPs are whipped to cheer for the disgraced Penashue, but fewer than half participate
Mar 20, 2013 12:07 pm | Saskatchewan, Wascana
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Question Period dominated by Questions about Conservative manipulation - their disgraced candidate in Labrador + the Finance Minister meddling with mortgage rates
Mar 20, 2013 11:51 am | Saskatchewan, Wascana
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Jim Flaherty's manipulation of retail mortgage rates now attacked by cabinet "colleague" Maxime Bernier http://business.financialpost.com/2013/03/20/flaherty-manulife-mortgage-bernier/
Mar 20, 2013 9:31 am | Saskatchewan, Wascana
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Happy 65th Birthday today to the great Bobby Orr!
Mar 20, 2013 9:28 am | Saskatchewan, Wascana