Bashing Begins in Saskatchewan Campaign

It sounds as if the Sask. Party cannot make up its mind on the pulp mill issue. To object to the NDP pharmacare plan may not be a good idea as it will help a lot of people. The alternative Sask. Party plan seems to have been made up without much thought except that it is cheaper but it would be administratively more costly.


Bashing begins in Saskatchewan campaign
THE CANADIAN PRESS

October 13, 2007 at 10:28 PM EDT

REGINA — It didn't take long for all three parties in the Saskatchewan provincial election to start flinging the mud.

On the first weekend of the campaign, the emphasis was on attacking the other guy.

The Saskatchewan Party lambasted the NDP's drug plan.

The NDP accused the Saskatchewan Party of flip-flopping on a pulp mill.

And the Liberals blasted the accountability records of both the other parties.

The vote will be held Nov. 7.

Don McMorris, the Saskatchewan Party's candidate for Indian-Head Milestone, said the NDP's universal drug plan is irresponsible, unaffordable and a desperate attempt by a desperate NDP to cling to power.

“The NDP drug plan has nothing to do with improving the health-care system in Saskatchewan and everything to do with a tired, old Calvert NDP trying to get re-elected,” Mr. McMorris said.

“The NDP know they can't win on their own health-care record or the longest waiting lists in Canada, a critical shortage of nurses and doctors, and hospital closures — so they're desperately trying to deflect attention elsewhere.”

NDP Premier Lorne Calvert's campaign pledges that no one would pay more than $15 per prescription for any medication covered under the province's drug plan.

Meanwhile, the NDP candidate for Prince Albert-Carlton, Chad Nilson, suggested that a Saskatchewan Party candidate had indicated Saturday his party would end a deal between the province and Domtar to reopen the community's pulp mill, possibly as a northern bleached softwood kraft operation producing high-grade pulp for North American and offshore markets.

Saskatchewan Party Leader Brad Wall has said the project is a risk of taxpayers money and raises false expectations in the northern community.

“Ever since the NDP government announced the (agreement) in Prince Albert, Brad Wall has been trying to play both sides of the deal,” Mr. Nilson said.

“He started out mocking the hard work of the Forestry Task Force and Domtar, a publicly-traded company that employs almost 14,000 in the forestry sector, calling the deal ‘pulp fiction.'

“When he realized the deal was popular and important to the people of Prince Albert, he changed his tune, saying the deal was not necessarily at risk under a Saskatchewan Party government. But today, once again, we have a flip flop.”

Liberal Leader David Karwacki went after both of his opponents, launching in North Battleford his party's “accountability” TV ads.

“Calvert dropped $1-billion into Meadow Lake pulp and Wall didn't say a word because they both want to win the seat and political points,” said Mr. Karwacki.

“Calvert said yesterday that an accountability package wasn't needed. Wall is up in Meadow Lake this week to drum up support for his candidate, and I'm sure Calvert will be there next week to tell people that his investment in one pulp mill was a billion dollars well spent.”