Press
Release 070320-1
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Dana Arnason
Press Liason - Western Independence Party of Saskatchewan
voice: 306.827.7890
web: www.wipsk.com
STATEMENT FROM THE LEADER OF THE WESTERN INDEPENDENCE PARTY OF SASKATCHEWAN
Great Bend, Saskatchewan - March 20, 2007
Mr John Nesdoly, Leader, Western Independence Party of Saskatchewan:
"Federal Finance Minister Jim Flaherty today called his Budget an 'historic document' that would forever end the fiscal imbalance. The Western Independence Party of Saskatchewan could not agree more. Today a federal government supposedly friendly to Western Canada upheld a long and proud Eastern Canadian tradition of milking the West and sending the money East; in this case in an attempt to buy votes in Quebec. Only time will tell if this ploy was successful or not.
Today was indeed a dark day for Saskatchewan. In the 2006 federal election campaign Mr. Harper promised Saskatchewan that 100% of all oil revenues would be exempt from the equalization formula. Today that lie was exposed. Today we were presented with an option of either getting clawed back 100% of our oil revenues, or only 50 per cent. Today we were officially raped out of $880 million. Quebec on the other hand was greatly rewarded. They stand to gain an additional $3.2 billion. It would be a very good guess where Saskatchewan's oil money is going. It is going to Quebec in order to buy the Conservative Party of Canada additional seats there, and also to shore up Premier Jean Charest's re-election bid. Is Stephen Harper so certain of his 12 Saskatchewan seats that he is willing to risk them for a not-for-certain gain of the same number of seats in Quebec? Once again Saskatchewan (and western money) is being used to buy votes in Quebec. And we all know Quebec favors policies that historically have always been to the detriment of Western Canada. Saskatchewan once again gets a raw deal from Confederation.
The Kyoto Accord is a very popular concept in Eastern Canada, but would be devastating for the economy of Western Canada as a whole, so once again our Prime Minister has thrown the eastern environmental lobby a bone. Unfortunately that bone was the tax incentives on oil sands development. By 2015 all tax exemptions on tar sands development will be phased out. This policy is obviously meant to show the environmentalists that the Conservatives are fighting the big, bad polluters in the west. Unfortunately this move will not only slow oil sands development in Alberta but could retard any future development of the Saskatchewan deposits. In a world where energy supplies are dwindling, this federal government would arrest the development of a very large energy source. A resource that would be of extraordinary value to Saskatchewan if we were to develop it.
In Saskatchewan many of our residents are dependent on older vehicles to get around and to use as farm vehicles. As many Saskatchewan farmers cannot afford the newer, more energy efficient vehicles, Mr. Flaherty's announcement today that he would seek to remove older vehicles from the roads would be economically devastating to the poorer people of Saskatchewan who rely on these older vehicles for transportation. Many Saskatchewan residents would therefore be without transportation. In the cities this may not be so bad but in rural Saskatchewan it would be absolutely devastating.
In short, the 2007 Federal Budget was a terrible one for Saskatchewan. The Western Independence Party cannot and will not support it and will vigorously oppose any party or parties in Saskatchewan that do support the budget."
-ends-
Contact: Dana Arnason
Press Liason - Western Independence Party of Saskatchewan
voice: 306.827.7890
web: www.wipsk.com
STATEMENT FROM THE LEADER OF THE WESTERN INDEPENDENCE PARTY OF SASKATCHEWAN
Great Bend, Saskatchewan - March 20, 2007
Mr John Nesdoly, Leader, Western Independence Party of Saskatchewan:
"Federal Finance Minister Jim Flaherty today called his Budget an 'historic document' that would forever end the fiscal imbalance. The Western Independence Party of Saskatchewan could not agree more. Today a federal government supposedly friendly to Western Canada upheld a long and proud Eastern Canadian tradition of milking the West and sending the money East; in this case in an attempt to buy votes in Quebec. Only time will tell if this ploy was successful or not.
Today was indeed a dark day for Saskatchewan. In the 2006 federal election campaign Mr. Harper promised Saskatchewan that 100% of all oil revenues would be exempt from the equalization formula. Today that lie was exposed. Today we were presented with an option of either getting clawed back 100% of our oil revenues, or only 50 per cent. Today we were officially raped out of $880 million. Quebec on the other hand was greatly rewarded. They stand to gain an additional $3.2 billion. It would be a very good guess where Saskatchewan's oil money is going. It is going to Quebec in order to buy the Conservative Party of Canada additional seats there, and also to shore up Premier Jean Charest's re-election bid. Is Stephen Harper so certain of his 12 Saskatchewan seats that he is willing to risk them for a not-for-certain gain of the same number of seats in Quebec? Once again Saskatchewan (and western money) is being used to buy votes in Quebec. And we all know Quebec favors policies that historically have always been to the detriment of Western Canada. Saskatchewan once again gets a raw deal from Confederation.
The Kyoto Accord is a very popular concept in Eastern Canada, but would be devastating for the economy of Western Canada as a whole, so once again our Prime Minister has thrown the eastern environmental lobby a bone. Unfortunately that bone was the tax incentives on oil sands development. By 2015 all tax exemptions on tar sands development will be phased out. This policy is obviously meant to show the environmentalists that the Conservatives are fighting the big, bad polluters in the west. Unfortunately this move will not only slow oil sands development in Alberta but could retard any future development of the Saskatchewan deposits. In a world where energy supplies are dwindling, this federal government would arrest the development of a very large energy source. A resource that would be of extraordinary value to Saskatchewan if we were to develop it.
In Saskatchewan many of our residents are dependent on older vehicles to get around and to use as farm vehicles. As many Saskatchewan farmers cannot afford the newer, more energy efficient vehicles, Mr. Flaherty's announcement today that he would seek to remove older vehicles from the roads would be economically devastating to the poorer people of Saskatchewan who rely on these older vehicles for transportation. Many Saskatchewan residents would therefore be without transportation. In the cities this may not be so bad but in rural Saskatchewan it would be absolutely devastating.
In short, the 2007 Federal Budget was a terrible one for Saskatchewan. The Western Independence Party cannot and will not support it and will vigorously oppose any party or parties in Saskatchewan that do support the budget."
-ends-
2006