About the last thing either the province or the Saskatchewan Party need right now is more division.
While one might think tough economic times bring people together, they sometimes really don’t.
Tough economic times mean tough choices for a provincial government that’s already talking about “transformational change.”
Exactly what that means is anyone’s guess at this point, but most will recognize it likely means more bickering over keeping what we already enjoy.
This takes us to the latest indication of division — a poll done by Mainstreet Research for Postmedia (owners of the two major daily newspapers).
The survey shows that the Saskatchewan Party still has a commanding 53 per cent of popular vote provincewide — the kind of public support that most other governing parties can only dream of. Remember: This is the beginning of the third term of government achieved the near impossible of getting that third term. Only CCF/NDP governments had accomplished that in the past century.
However, the survey shows is that Premier Brad Wall’s government is now running behind the NDP in Regina where New Democrats have 52-per-cent support among divided votes compared with 39 per cent for the Sask. Party.
Again, there is obviously no need for Wall and the Sask. Party to hit the panic button yet.
Regina only represents a mere 11 of the province’s 61 seats. At 39 per cent, were an election held today, the Sask. Party would still likely win three to five of those Regina seats (depending on how the vote split worked.)
Moreover, the Sask. Party is still running ahead in Saskatoon that has 14 seats and far, far ahead in 30 rural seats.
Still, it’s hard to ignore both the Sask. Party’s overall provincewide support is down from the 60 per cent it received in April 4th vote or the even more dramatic drop in Regina.
Even harder to ignore is the likely reasons behind it — those deepening divisions we have seen in Saskatchewan.
This has been a summer of discontent for Wall’s forces that really began with the Provincial Auditor’s report on both the Regina by-pass and Global Transportation Hub that illustrated highly questionable management practices of both former highways minister Nancy Heppner and former GTH/economy minister Bill Boyd. (By no small coincidence, both have now left Wall’s cabinet.)
Add to the mix is its handling of the Husky pipeline spill into the North Saskatchewan River and the racial tensions with First Nations that sometimes unfairly are blamed on the government of the day.
Now, throw in talk of privatizing SaskTel — something Wall said he would consider if he received an offer that was large enough to eliminate the operating debt that’s now pegged at $4.1 billion.
This cuts closer in Regina where SaskTel’s head office and most of its jobs are located.
It’s also another thing that has brought home the fiscal reality for a lot more people … and perhaps a sense that Wall and his Sask. Party government weren’t nearly as clear with the public about what they had in mind as they should have been.
Finally, another social issue in play seems to be Don McMorris’s recent charge for drunk driving.
That 80 per cent admit to having driven drunk at some point in their lives, sadly, suggests this isn’t as divisive an issue as perhaps it should be.
What more troubling for the Sask. Party in this poll is the 68 per cent who suggested McMorris shouldn’t run again.
The survey results also showed that one-in-five in this province still feel that it’s okay to drive drunk if it’s only for a short distance.
This would seem to suggest another clear division — likely, between urban and rural people.
It may be one more divide in a province that’s showing a lot of signs of division … never a good thing for a government.
Murray Mandryk has been covering provincial politics for over 22 years.
