CALVERT CONCLUDES HARPER INTENDING TO BREAK PROMISE

Released on December 8, 2006

It appears the federal Conservative government is preparing to break its $800 million equalization promise to Saskatchewan Premier Lorne Calvert said following his meeting with Prime Minister Stephen Harper in Ottawa Thursday.

"Nothing that the Prime Minister said would indicate that he intends to keep his promise to Saskatchewan," Calvert said. "Therefore I conclude that the Prime Minster intends to break his promise to the people of Saskatchewan."

Meeting this commitment means $800 million each and every year for this province, an amount that would provide for significant needs for Saskatchewan families. That money can grow the economy, create more jobs and give our young people a better future right here in their own province, cut more taxes, pay down more of the debt, invest more in post-secondary education and skills training, build stronger infrastructure like roads and schools and generally build a better Saskatchewan.

Calvert has demanded Saskatchewan Conservative Members of Parliament (MPs) speak up, particularly those who supported Saskatchewan's position going into the recent election but have been disengaged with this vital question of fairness ever since.

"There is no more room for patience. The silence is now inexcusable," Calvert said.

"This issue is of paramount importance for Saskatchewan's people. It means making sure Saskatchewan gets the same kind of treatment for our energy resources that Alberta received in the past and that Newfoundland and Labrador and Nova Scotia have now. We want the same chance they have to invest their energy resources into building for the future. It is seeking basic fairness," he added.

Calvert cited that in Harper's election platform, he committed that:

A Conservative government will:

• Work with the provinces in order to achieve a long-term agreement which would address the issue of fiscal imbalance in a permanent fashion.

• Ensure that any new shared-cost program in areas of provincial/territorial responsibility have the consent of the majority of provinces to proceed and that provinces should be given the right to opt out of the federal program with compensation, so long as the province offers a similar program with similar accountability structures.

• Work to achieve with the provinces permanent changes to the equalization formula which would ensure that non-renewal natural resource revenue is removed from the equalization formula to encourage economic growth. We will ensure that no province is adversely affected from changes to the equalization formula.

Other items in Calvert's discussion with Harper included the federal government's cutbacks to essential programs to promote literacy, the Canadian Wheat Board and agriculture disaster relief.

"It is time for Saskatchewan Conservative MPs to speak up loud and strong," Calvert said. "Our families deserve to have equality with other provinces of this great nation. Saskatchewan people do not deserve unfair treatment, so our awareness efforts will intensify accordingly."

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For More Information, Contact:

Jay Branch Media Services Regina Phone: 306-787-6349 Email: jay.branch@gov.sk.ca Cell: 306-539-3994