NDP - No Debating

Tisdale - August 29, 1999
By : Timothy W. Shire

For regular readers of Ensign you will have seen the article "the Saskatchewan Way" that appeared on Thursday. In that article I attacked the provincial government's record and platform. The main point of the article was to encourage voters to put the questions to their candidates and make their decision based on what they find out. In keeping with that attitude, on Friday, I went to the office's of each of the candidates in my riding and gave them a printed copy of "the Saskatchewan Way" and an offer to make a web page for them quickly and inexpensively.

In Melfort, I went to the NDP candidate's office and talked with campaign manager Judy, as seen in the picture above. I clearly pointed out my serious reservations about the Premier's policies, as demonstrated during the past eight years and she politely handled my arguments with skill and clear committment to the party. She invited me to come to the Tisdale office Saturday night so I could meet the candidate and let her express herself with regard to the issues I had raised. I wanted to have a chance to discuss the issues in the NDP platform with the candidate, because I feel strongly, that if I could find someone to support in the election, it would be much better then just negatively criticizing the premier for his disregard for the people of this province in the past eight years.

What I did not expect was that I had been set up for what amounted to an ambush. The candidate had not liked my comments in my article and decided to use me to gain points with those in attendance and resorted to name calling. I had deliberately wanted to get to the event later, so that others could meet her and talk with her first. I arrived at the door to the small crowded office at 8:05 and the candidate was speaking to those gathered around as she was going down through the list of elements in the Saskatchewan Way Platform.

When I came to the door she was extolling the tax cutting plan of the party, to reduce personal income taxes by $1,000 a person. It seems this election all of the parties are playing this game, of how much they will reduce taxes, but after eight years of reduced government and services of all forms, it seems odd that the NDP has this as one of their planks.

The room was filled with senior citizens, people who by their nature seem to worry a good deal about crime and punishment and the candidate played this issue like a symphony as she told how the government planned its "get tough" programme on children and the young offenders act. I was disgusted by this tactic, as we in Tisdale have some the nicest kids I have ever met, and to hear young people being trashed for crime exceeded my ability tobe quiet. At which point I asked if she could handle a question and I ask her how she could voice such an issue when we in Tisdale are relatively crime free, while the two largest cities in the province have become the leading crime areas in the country during the premier's tenure. She responded to this challenge by pointing out as to whose statistics was I referring, to and that, we in Saskatchewan merely are more efficient at reporting crime then other places and that places us at the top of the statistics.

As I listened to her response I couldn't help but think of the families of the eight murder victims in Regina this past year and if they felt the same way and those families did not include the numbers of those people killed by police or who died in the Regina jail while under detention. Is it possible that as many violent deaths in Regina each year are just a statistical reporting problem, somehow, I don't think so, with around 130,000 people in Regina, its crime rates exceed most American urban areas even in those impoverished ghetto cities.

When I questioned the candidate further she demanded to know who I was and I told her and she said she had read my article and said it was wrong and that I was advocating a right wing agenda. (Please dear reader, if you haven't looked over the article, please do so) If the NDP candidate thinks that the issues I raised are a right wing agenda, one wonders where to put her on the political spectrum.

"The Saskatchewan Way is that of people helping people, the first people in Canada to have universal Medicare, the people who turn out to help each other build communities, rebuild lives and work together to build coops, credit unions, and wheat pools. In Saskatchewan if some one is in trouble, we all are in trouble. The premier does not share that view."

Quoted from my editorial on the NDP platform.

This was the main point I made in the article yet she views this as "right wing".

The candidate said "I will talk to you about this some other time but I am not going to debate with you now." At this point the door was slammed shut and I was excluded from the proceedings.

So readers, it would appear that the candidate for my constituency is a token candidate who is sticking to the party lines. The incumbent is a Saskatchewan Party member and the NDP must have considered there being little hope of winning this seat and this person is their sacrificial candidate. Her limited understanding of issues, refusal to discuss them without calling me names, indicates the fragile nature of the position she is taking and clearly she knows there is no point discussing the issues in an open debate, because she knows she is wrong and could not win. This candidate rumored to have been at one time a liberal, then became a Tory and after working for Hodgins Auction became a Realtor in Melfort.

I really wish her well in her life and business, but as far as I am concerned, I will actively campaign against her being elected, because I would not want such a narrow minded individual representing me.

Both my wife and I are decidedly unsettled about this incident, because the Romanow government's history of using every thing at its disposal to target anyone who might voice concerns about their actions or policies. In Saskatchewan, under an NDP government, freedom of speech must not be taken for granted. Those who have questioned NDP policy about issues like the workman's compensation board and the SGI no fault programme have faced legal action and during the nurses strike and on other serious issues, Saskatchewan citizens will not speak out, or let their names be known, for fear of repercussions for their family or their jobs. Being kicked out of a meeting where "everyone is welcome" demonstrates this autocratic and authoritarian stance that is so much a part of the Premier and his ultra-loyal supports.

On several occasions I have received mail from readers of Ensign expressing their dismay at the forth right stating of controversial positions as many articles have been published here that could not be published anywhere else. It has been described as brave and in reality it is naivety For now we will continue to call a spade a spade and hope that it does not impact negatively on our ability to earn a living or live a happy life but, you can bet I am going to be extra careful for a while, especially if Romanow is reelected. The power of a government in today's world is awesome and when that government has so little regard for the people as demonstrated by allowing a nurses strike, then one has to be concerned.


Tisdale - August 29, 1999 By : Timothy W. Shire

For regular readers of Ensign you will have seen the article "the Saskatchewan Way" that appeared on Thursday. In that article I attacked the provincial government's record and platform. The main point of the article was to encourage voters to put the questions to their candidates and make their decision based on what they find out. In keeping with that attitude, on Friday, I went to the office's of each of the candidates in my riding and gave them a printed copy of "the Saskatchewan Way" and an offer to make a web page for them quickly and inexpensively. In Melfort, I went to the NDP candidate's office and talked with campaign manager Judy, as seen in the picture above. I clearly pointed out my serious reservations about the Premier's policies, as demonstrated during the past eight years and she politely handled my arguments with skill and clear committment to the party. She invited me to come to the Tisdale office Saturday night so I could meet the candidate and let her express herself with regard to the issues I had raised. I wanted to have a chance to discuss the issues in the NDP platform with the candidate, because I feel strongly, that if I could find someone to support in the election, it would be much better then just negatively criticizing the premier for his disregard for the people of this province in the past eight years. What I did not expect was that I had been set up for what amounted to an ambush. The candidate had not liked my comments in my article and decided to use me to gain points with those in attendance and resorted to name calling. I had deliberately wanted to get to the event later, so that others could meet her and talk with her first. I arrived at the door to the small crowded office at 8:05 and the candidate was speaking to those gathered around as she was going down through the list of elements in the Saskatchewan Way Platform. When I came to the door she was extolling the tax cutting plan of the party, to reduce personal income taxes by $1,000 a person. It seems this election all of the parties are playing this game, of how much they will reduce taxes, but after eight years of reduced government and services of all forms, it seems odd that the NDP has this as one of their planks. The room was filled with senior citizens, people who by their nature seem to worry a good deal about crime and punishment and the candidate played this issue like a symphony as she told how the government planned its "get tough" programme on children and the young offenders act. I was disgusted by this tactic, as we in Tisdale have some the nicest kids I have ever met, and to hear young people being trashed for crime exceeded my ability tobe quiet. At which point I asked if she could handle a question and I ask her how she could voice such an issue when we in Tisdale are relatively crime free, while the two largest cities in the province have become the leading crime areas in the country during the premier's tenure. She responded to this challenge by pointing out as to whose statistics was I referring, to and that, we in Saskatchewan merely are more efficient at reporting crime then other places and that places us at the top of the statistics. As I listened to her response I couldn't help but think of the families of the eight murder victims in Regina this past year and if they felt the same way and those families did not include the numbers of those people killed by police or who died in the Regina jail while under detention. Is it possible that as many violent deaths in Regina each year are just a statistical reporting problem, somehow, I don't think so, with around 130,000 people in Regina, its crime rates exceed most American urban areas even in those impoverished ghetto cities. When I questioned the candidate further she demanded to know who I was and I told her and she said she had read my article and said it was wrong and that I was advocating a right wing agenda. (Please dear reader, if you haven't looked over the article, please do so) If the NDP candidate thinks that the issues I raised are a right wing agenda, one wonders where to put her on the political spectrum. "The Saskatchewan Way is that of people helping people, the first people in Canada to have universal Medicare, the people who turn out to help each other build communities, rebuild lives and work together to build coops, credit unions, and wheat pools. In Saskatchewan if some one is in trouble, we all are in trouble. The premier does not share that view." Quoted from my editorial on the NDP platform. This was the main point I made in the article yet she views this as "right wing". The candidate said "I will talk to you about this some other time but I am not going to debate with you now." At this point the door was slammed shut and I was excluded from the proceedings. So readers, it would appear that the candidate for my constituency is a token candidate who is sticking to the party lines. The incumbent is a Saskatchewan Party member and the NDP must have considered there being little hope of winning this seat and this person is their sacrificial candidate. Her limited understanding of issues, refusal to discuss them without calling me names, indicates the fragile nature of the position she is taking and clearly she knows there is no point discussing the issues in an open debate, because she knows she is wrong and could not win. This candidate rumored to have been at one time a liberal, then became a Tory and after working for Hodgins Auction became a Realtor in Melfort. I really wish her well in her life and business, but as far as I am concerned, I will actively campaign against her being elected, because I would not want such a narrow minded individual representing me. Both my wife and I are decidedly unsettled about this incident, because the Romanow government's history of using every thing at its disposal to target anyone who might voice concerns about their actions or policies. In Saskatchewan, under an NDP government, freedom of speech must not be taken for granted. Those who have questioned NDP policy about issues like the workman's compensation board and the SGI no fault programme have faced legal action and during the nurses strike and on other serious issues, Saskatchewan citizens will not speak out, or let their names be known, for fear of repercussions for their family or their jobs. Being kicked out of a meeting where "everyone is welcome" demonstrates this autocratic and authoritarian stance that is so much a part of the Premier and his ultra-loyal supports. On several occasions I have received mail from readers of Ensign expressing their dismay at the forth right stating of controversial positions as many articles have been published here that could not be published anywhere else. It has been described as brave and in reality it is naivety For now we will continue to call a spade a spade and hope that it does not impact negatively on our ability to earn a living or live a happy life but, you can bet I am going to be extra careful for a while, especially if Romanow is reelected. The power of a government in today's world is awesome and when that government has so little regard for the people as demonstrated by allowing a nurses strike, then one has to be concerned.