Thursday's end of the 2010 spring sitting of the Saskatchewan legislature could not have come soon enough.
With NDP leader Dwain Lingenfelter and Premier Brad Wall - and many of the people in their respective parties - acting like spoiled, belligerent, school children, the end of the session came at a perfect time.
Here's hoping that, much like when a parent sends their child to the corner to think about their misdeeds, the members of Saskatchewan's political parties will use the summer months as a timeout to think about their actions because what has been going in the hallowed halls of the legislature over the past few months has been nothing short of embarrassing.
Despite what some might try to tell you, there are a lot of good things happening in Saskatchewan right now. The economy, especially here in the southeast, is strong; more people than ever are working and people are actually coming back to the province after fleeing like there was a wild fire.
But what story is grabbing headlines right now? None other than Lingenfelter calling the premier "The little thief from Swift Current," during considerations of the budget estimates for executive council May 10.
With so many positive things to talk about, that is the story newspapers and TV stations are covering from sea to shining sea. Great, that's just the image of our province we want to project to the rest of Canada.
During a recent interview with The Mercury, Lingenfelter, who in all fairness was goaded by Wall, was asked if he felt the shenanigans that have become commonplace at the Legislature were turning off the general public to the political process. He replied by saying that such activities are part of the British parliamentary system and no cause for alarm. Really? Calling the premier a thief is part of the British parliamentary system? It smacks more of a desperate party that is willing to go to any lengths to curry favor with the public.
Although some have credited the NDP with being a solid opposition since Lingenfelter became leader, there are plenty of reasons, besides the thief comment, to question that statement. In many respects, the NDP has become the political equivalent of Chicken Little. Throughout the past session it seemed the skies over Saskatchewan were falling every day. There was hardly a day that didn't go by without the NDP getting on its soapbox and explaining how the Wall government - never the Sask Party, but always the Wall government - was ruining Saskatchewan. Now, its not as though the Sask Party didn't give them plenty of ammo, but it is awfully hard to take a party serious when every day they are screaming that the sky is falling. It's even harder when said party has yet to put forth a single idea on what they would do differently or what their plan is for the future. Yes, we are aware the NDP is still in the process of developing their policies and platform but this sky is falling routine is going to tire very quickly.
Then again, if the Sask Party continues down the path its currently on, it may not. Let's set aside the much debated mishandling of the finances, which although very alarming, has been talked to death.
What might be more disconcerting is the party's decision to stop listening to the people of this province. Whether it's Bill 80 or the sale of environmentally protected Crown lands, the Sask Party government has thumbed their nose at repeated requests to discuss these topics and others. Even with the New West Partnership agreement, which could very well be a great thing for the province, the government's hesitancy to be open and transparent gave the NDP and groups like the Saskatchewan Federation of Labour more ammunition as they attempt to paint Wall and his party as the boogeyman.
Some have called it arrogance and it's tough to argue with them. It's also incredibly frustrating because, as mentioned, there is so much going right in this province and we don't need a bunch of self-serving politicians derailing that momentum in pursuit of their own special interests.
So, whether it's the name-calling and Chicken Little antics of the NDP or the Sask Party turning a deaf ear to the concerns of the people, it needs to stop. Both parties need to use the summer as an opportunity to re-evaluate their priorities and come back in the fall ready to do their jobs - which the last time we checked was serving the best interests of the public, not their own. A novel concept indeed.
