Share this Story: Time to end Wall's stipend, and big-time political donations
Time to end Wall's stipend, and big-time political donations
Murray Mandryk
Now that B.C. Premier Christy Clark (right) has said she will stop accepting a salary from the B.C. provincial Liberal party, Brad Wall is the only premier in Canada to receive a stipend from his party. Photo by Adrian Wyld /THE CANADIAN PRESS
Premier Brad Wall won't change his policy of taking salary from the Saskatchewan Party for the same reason he won't change the province's ludicrous political donation policies.
Both are just far too lucrative for him to give up.
Time to end Wall's stipend, and big-time political donations Back to video
In the wake of B.C. Premier Christy Clark declaring she will no longer receive her $50,000 stipend from that province's Liberal party, the heat is again on Wall — the last Canadian premier in the country to take party pay — to end the practice.
Wall's $166,137 combined premier/MLA salary is fourth-lowest in the country among premiers and territorial leaders. But he jumps to about the middle of the pack after he receives a $37,000 top-up from the Sask. Party.
The premier says it's all "transparent" and reasonable because the Sask. Party had 13,375 individual donors and 1,377 corporate donors in 2015 (thus no one donor is all that influential).
So why does it seem as if certain individual and corporate Sask. Party donors do better by this government than ordinary folk?
While many may donate because of political convictions (you get a $19 tax receipt on a $25 donation) it's naive to think many of the bigger $1,000-plus donors (you only get a $650 tax receipt on any donation of $1,275 or more) that account for the vast majority of money the Sask. Party rakes in aren't expecting something. No problem with perception? No board appointments? No government jobs? No problem in reality?
Has the Global Transportation Hub not taught this Sask. Party government anything about potential conflict when it comes to political donors?
In fact, it's because Saskatchewan political donation rules are what political scientists describe as the "wild west" — there are no restrictions on size of donations, whether corporations and unions can donate or even on donors having to live in Saskatchewan — that Wall should not take any money from the party.
The problem is, the Saskatchewan legislature makes the donation rules and the only MLAs ever interested in change are always in opposition.
While interim leader Trent Wotherspoon hammered Wall hard on his party stipend and while in opposition presented a bill to end union and corporate donations, his former NDP government had no interest in fixing the law during its 16 years in government. Heck, former labour minister Deb Higgins's entire Moose Jaw Wakamow campaign was once financed by labour donations.
In fact, of the $1,326,180 in 2015 NDP donations, $211,157 came from unions (compared with a mere $2,150 from unions to the Sask. Party — a donation from the Regina Firefighters Association), $932,266 were donations from individuals and $144,870 came from corporations.
That said, the potential problem is with the Sask. Party, which raked in $4,264,352 in 2015, including $2,347,44o from individuals and $1,699,139 from corporations.
Even a cursory examination of the Sask. Party's top donors is cause for curiosity.
Wall himself ($5,199) was among the top Sask. Party 2015 donors, who also included business people like Regina's Paul Hill ($4,600) and Brandt Industries' Gavin Semple ($4,600). Interestingly, they have property interests near the $1.9-billion Regina Bypass.
However, by far the biggest 2015 Sask. Party individual donor was Rural Municipality of Wilton reeve Glen Dow — $25,040, not including his contributions to individual Sask. Party candidates.
According to a 2013 report from Colin Craig, then Saskatchewan director of the Canadian Taxpayers' Federation, Dow took $61,689 in pay that year. The RM also agreed to buy $302,750 worth of gravel through a lease arrangement of land owned by Dow, according to a document obtained by the CTF. The CTF urged taxpayers and government to look into this. The response? Well, we know Wilton received $327,639 from the provincial government in 2014-15.
But it's the Sask. Party's corporate donations where both the premier and his governing party run into a myriad of potential conflicts. Consider just a few 2015 donors: PCL Constructors Ltd, ($12,180); Cenovus Energy, ($8,000); Brandt Industries, ($8,000); Enbridge Pipelines Inc., ($7,300); Mosaic Corp., ($7,300); Cameco Corp., ($7,160); Canpotex Ltd. ($6,400); Saskatchewan Potash Producers Association, ($3,180); Saskatchewan Mining Association ($2,590).
Wouldn't it be better to end corporate and union donations altogether? Wouldn't it be best if no donation dollars ever made it to Wall's pocket?
Mandryk is the political columnist for the Regina Leader-Post.