If there is a singular issue with governments these days it is that the further removed the voter is from the seat of power the greater the seeming lack of awareness coming for the elected officials.
When we think of a local municipal government getting the ear of the elected official, it is still pretty straight forward. We run into them at the grocery store, coffee shop and on the golf course on a regular basis. Grabbing the ear of the Mayor is a rather straight forward process.
Regina is a bit farther away, and that means we have less direct access. That is not to say MLA Greg Ottenbreit is not available to voters, but he is one voice in a larger group.
The most recent provincial budget speaks of the disconnect to the public. Not only was it viewed by many as overly harsh, there have been examples of the government retreating on positions based on public outcry. A better connection to the desires of the public could have avoided some of those.
The disconnect becomes a chasm when we get to the federal government level. The divide in terms of influence the federal government is made greater locally as the local MP is not on the government side of Parliament, nor are most of the MPs from Saskatchewan.
Some among readers will lay this disconnect squarely at the feet of the current Liberal government, but that is more a case of partisanship than reality. The Saskatchewan voice in Ottawa has been a muted one through many government changes.
The latest example of the disconnect are the wide ranging changes being proposed in terms of business taxation.
Sarah Tkachuk, partner at KPMG based in Regina termed it the biggest change in taxes in 45-years, at a Yorkton Chamber of Commerce luncheon last week (see related story Page A1).
“We’re concerned how pervasive they are, or how far reaching they are,” she said of the changes unveiled in July.
Tkachuk said overall the “most significant concern” for those work with tax policies day-to-day, is “the complexity … and how subjective” the changes will be.
The changes are being widely argued against from small business people, including farmers, and with good reason.
While some of the changes clearly have merit, those get lost amid the furor over the heavy-handed changes which will clearly be a detriment to an important sector of our economy – small business.
And it again illustrates how our most senior level of government can forget about the important element of their job: Listening to the people who elected them.
