It probably looks like the NDP is getting a tremendous jump in the 2016 election campaign.
By the time Premier Brad Wall kicked off last Tuesday what will be a 28-day campaign, the NDP had already fired off a whole series of campaign announcements.
It said it would re-instate the Saskatchewan Film Employment Tax Credit.
This may seem strictly like an urban issue, but with the number of past productions under the old SFETC taking place in smaller communities like Kipling, Gravelbourg, Estevan and, of course, Rouleau (where both the Corner Gas television series and movie was shot) a lot of local business opportunities were created for smaller rural communities.
And that was just one of many NDP announcements that NDP leader Cam Broten and the NDP grinded out in the week before the campaign started.
Broten also promised to “fix the worst ambulance-fee system in Canada by ending charges for transfers between facilities” and the “per-kilometre charges patients pay.”
Saskatchewan is the only province charging for inter-facility hospital transfers and one of only two provinces toping up basic charges with a per-kilometre. One might think this, too, would be a big issue for rural voters who often bear the brunt of the per-kilometre costs of ambulances.
Broten also committed to a modest tax cut by increasing the basic personal exemption (pre-tax income) by $500 — a move that would benefit 70 per cent of Saskatchewan taxpayers.
New Democrats would also increase taxes on the rich by creating ay higher tax bracket for individual earnings over $175,000.
Broten promised to re-instated. By 2020 the old guarantee offered by the former Lorne Calvert NDP government of the lowest utility bill bundle in the country. The NDP argued that while Saskatchewan ratepayers used to pay $40 less per year than their Manitoba neighbours, residents in this province now pay $400 a year more.
Broten also promised expanded and more accessible mental health care for children by covering up to eight counselling sessions per year. He would also create two provincial mental health specialty clinics, use already-promised Quick Care clinics in Regina, Saskatoon, Prince Albert and Moose Jaw to increase availability and hire more workers.
Also, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) for many like professional firefighters would be covered through Workers’ Compensation by an NDP government.
In what seems a more political move, the NDP would sell “Executive Air” for about $4 million, while converting at least one of planes used by cabinet ministers to air ambulance use.
The NDP took particularly glee at slamming Kindersley MLA and Economy Minister Bill Boyd for running up the biggest executive air bills.
The pre-campaign festivities also have Broten taking a less direct political shot a Boyd by calling for an inquiry into the Global Transportation Hub.
You get the picture: Both in terms of politics and policy, Broten and the NDP have clearly decided to get out ahead of the campaign.
It’s a strategy, however, that may not work.
For starters, it’s allowed Wall and the Sask. Party to cost out NDP spending earlier, too. The Sask. Party is now accusing Broten of having already committed to $5.5 billion in new spending.
Of course, such analysis from a political opponent needs to be taken with a grain of salt.
Nevertheless, in an election that may be more about managing our money than spending it, this early NDP spending spree might not to be to its advantage.
Finally, let us not forget how far back the NDP is.
While getting a headstart may seem political smart, it might also come across as a little desperate. In fact, it probably is.,
After all, if you couldn’t appeal to voters for the last nine years are a whole bunch of promises now really going to sway them?
Murray Mandryk has been covering provincial politics for over 22 years.
