And now for the business at hand …
New Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe strikes you as a get-down-to business type.
That’s likely a good thing, because he really doesn’t have much time to mess around when it comes to the business of running the government.
The leadership campaign is history. People have said their congratulations. Even the introductions are over. The time has come for Moe to get down to the brass tacks.
And it appears that he’s doing just that.
Last week, after Moe’s first cabinet meeting in which he got to sit at the head of the table, the new premier announced “immediate mid-school-year funding of $7.5 million” that “will allow school divisions to hire in-school professionals immediately.”
It was part of Moe’s Saskatchewan Party leadership promise to restore $30 million in education funding to hire 400 in-school education professionals and to address other school priorities in the coming 2018-19 budget year.
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Yes, it doesn’t make up for the full $50 million taken out of the budget last year. Essentially, only $7 million of that will be restored. And education will start 2018-19 with $20 million less than it had in 2016-17.
But these are the cards that Moe has been dealt as he takes over the premier’s office.
The challenge for him is to work his way through the array of problems he faces – no easy task, given that he only has so much money to work with in a province that’s growing but also still recovering from its economic downturn.
Also, straying too far from the course set by former premier Brad Wall – which includes the 2017-18 austerity plans to bring the balance to budget by 2020-21 – is politically problematic for Moe.
So the first order of business is to get some old business in order as effectively as he possibly can.
Moe was afforded the opportunity to do just that in his first speech to an influential and non-partisan audience – those running our cities, towns and villages attending the 113th Saskatchewan Urban Municipalities Association (SUMA).
His message to them was equally to the point – expect a “tight” 2018-19 budget that has now been pushed back to April 10.
When it comes to the revenue-sharing pool determined by a single percentage point of the now six per cent provincial sales tax, Moe said urban communities should only expect $241 million or $16 million less than last year. (This, however, was largely based on the downturn in economic performance that resulted in less sales tax revenue.)
Moe also made it known that more discussion would be needed in regards to grants in lieu that specific communities get from SaskEnergy and SaskPower. The reduction in grants in lieu in last year’s budget came without warning and caught urban communities by surprise.
“We need a permanent solution to grants in lieu,” Moe said on Monday. “We are looking to make it a fair program for all municipalities.”
Again, this isn’t what SUMA delegates wanted to hear but maybe Moe’s more straight-forward approach will be welcomed.
This is not to suggest that Moe is anywhere close to be being able to replace Wall – something he has acknowledged many times. He even made a joke to SUMA delegates, telling them they will finally get to hear a Saskatchewan premier with a little charisma.
But let us acknowledge that maybe one of Wall’s less endearing qualities was to float trial balloons at gatherings like SUMA that never quite seemed to come to fruition.
In fact, after last year’s serious budget cuts, it seems unlikely anyone is in the mood for any games of any sort.
So maybe it can be argued that Moe’s get-right-down-to-business approach is pretty much what’s needed.
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