Premier Brad Wall. Photo courtesy of Manfred Joehnck.
The throne speech, opening a new session of the Saskatchewan Legislature, does a little more backpedalling on the provincial government’s direction on a couple of major fronts and makes no mention of an apology for the Sixties Scoop.
The corporate tax rate, which was dropped to 11.5 per cent in July, will be going back up to 12 per cent, and the government is repealing legislation that would have allowed it to sell up to 49 per cent of a Crown corporation.
Premier Brad Wall says it’s clear the public wants no part of privatization.
“We are simply going back to the way it was, with the exception of liquor and gaming being removed from the Crown Protection Act, but that is something we campaigned on,” he said.
There is no mention of the long-promised apology for the Sixties Scoop in the throne speech. The premier says he is not to blame for the delay.
“You will have to ask the FSIN — their response to that,” he said. “There are some other issues that they are wanting to talk about and raise, and that is fine, but we would like to get on with the apology that was committed to.”
The NDP opposition is not impressed with the throne speech. Interim leader Nicole Sarauer says the government is still trying to clean up the mess it made in the spring budget.
“Now, we are finally seeing the Sask. Party listen and start to make some changes Saskatchewan people have been asking for, and had they actually consulted with Saskatchewan people prior to the last budget, we wouldn’t be in the mess we are in right now,” she said.
The throne speech also promises to introduce a new Seniors Education Property Tax Deferral Program, which will give seniors with incomes under $70,000 the option to defer the education portion of their property tax until the home is sold.