The government of Saskatchewan lists 20 Crown corporations on their website. Historically, various Crowns were established
Cam Goff
because private suppliers were simply too costly, or the private sector was preferentially supplying services to large centres only, leaving rural areas without essential services.
Crowns are administered under the umbrella of the Crown Investment Corporation (CIC), which reported consolidated net earnings of $540.6 million in 2018-2019 and $435 million in 2019 – 2020. This profit mainly arose from: SaskPower, SaskTel, Saskatchewan Government Insurance (SGI), SaskEnergy, Saskatchewan Gaming Authority (SGA), SaskWater, Saskatchewan Immigrant Investor Fund (SIIF) and Saskatchewan Opportunities C
The purpose of the Crown Corporations has taken different turns under the different governing parties. Under the NDP, Crowns were treated with a “Commonwealth lens” where the primary goal was to supply the needs of citizens and not the making of profits. Conservatives and the Sask. Party have used the lens of “lean small government” regarding the Crowns. Rather than use the Crowns to benefit Saskatchewan’s people, profits are opaquely used for the Sask Party members’ benefit (Regina Bypass, Global Transportation Hub), and Crown assets are sold to pay off the escalating debt, leaving government revenues smaller than they should be.
The result is proportionally fewer employees and hollowed out services. Rural internet has been dubbed “intermittentnet with connectile dysfunction” by its users. Cell service? “Can you hear me now?” What could have been good jobs and pensions for Saskatchewan’s workers means private out- of-province companies benefit (example provincial eHealth using Telus as the provider, Algonquin Power building a wind farm and selling us the power and, of course, Public Private Partnerships (P3s) (newly opened Saskatchewan Hospital North Battleford needing a new roof). It means industries doing their own inspections, which has never ended well ….
The NDP created the Potash Corporation of Saskatchewan to stabilize the natural resource, sustain employment and generate revenue for the people of the province. In 1982 the Conservatives privatized it. From 2017 to 2019 the Sask Party closed and sold off the assets of the STC, Land Titles services, and Grain Car Corporation (2017). They sold off liquor stores, Saskatchewan Community Pastures, Crown land, closed the Hearing Aids Program, allowed private MRIs (which increased public wait times), privatized prison food services (hunger strikes resulted), laundry services, and government building cleaning.
Given the dismal financial position that the Sask. Party has placed the province in, and their previous history, there is little doubt that they will undertake a sell-off of the remaining Crowns as a quick way to source cash.
The NDP will use the Crowns as an engine of growth, allowing them to truly connect rural Saskatchewan, making internet connectivity an essential service. Let’s have the Crowns empowered to operate for the public good, supplying good stable jobs with pensions, and use our workers to build the economy of tomorrow, upgrading our electricity grid and supplying jobs in renewable energy. Let’s end insecurity in work and focus on people, not profit at any cost. Let’s keep the Crowns vibrant, flexible and relevant so the province is stronger, modern and able to once again provide the services rural people need.
On October 26, is there really any question about what’s better for Saskatchewan?
-Submitted by the NDP Ag and Rural Life Committee, submitted by Cam Goff
Opinions expressed here are those of the writer.