Dear Editor
In September 2007 Saskatchewan Party leader Brad Wall unequivocally stated, “Crowns are not going to be privatized and (subsidiaries) are not going to be wound down.”
Yet, here we are some eight years later with Wall proposing the sale/giveaway of yet another Saskatchewan money maker, namely the Saskatchewan Government liquor stores, while we, the taxpayer will be saddled with the problems that liquor abuse seems to be responsible for.
Wall has sold off dozens of jobs previously done by the Crowns and their subsidiaries. For example, SaskTel alone contracted out or sold seven of its services. SaskEnergy is forced to sell three of its subsidiaries to comply with Wall’s “Saskatchewan First.” Never mind SaskPower’s carbon capture fiasco, SaskPower, too, was forced to divest itself of assets that did not conform to Wall’s Saskatchewan First policy.
Under Wall’s tutorage, Sask. Landing, Cypress Hills and Greenwater Lake Provincial Parks sold and privatized cabin rental, as well as services such as clearing and maintaining hiking trails, providing firewood supplies and other services to the private sector.
The Saskatchewan First policy was a thinly disguised policy adopted by Wall whose purpose was to prevent government-owned companies from competing against the private sector.
Under a premier who stated Crowns and their subsidiaries would not be privatized, Saskatchewan has sourced out more jobs than one can imagine — hospital laundry services to Alberta, SaskFerco to Norway, power to Northland Power of Ontario — on and on.
Now Premier Wall (Premier Pinocchio) wants to privatize more than 40 Saskatchewan Government liquor stores. Every one of these stores employ several people who shop locally, enrol their children in the local schools, pay taxes to the community and participate in local churches, organizations and sports. These will be gone.
The local grocery store will no doubt apply for the privilege of supplying local customers with their liquor supplies. This in itself will create many problems. Now, where should we display our stash of booze – next to the soft drink display – no, it is a beverage, how about the juice department – better stil, right with the milk? And how will one monitor the “under-drinking-age” clerk who is operating the till. And what of the convenience store that is open 24-7. Just who will monitor the sale of liquor at all hours of the day?
Joyce Neufeld
Waldeck
