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Wednesday, August 16, 2017
Issue 15
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Carr surprised with Wall’s decision to retire LOCAL MLA WON’T BE SEEKING LEADERSHIP By David Willberg dwillberg@estevanmercury.ca
Estevan MLA Lori Carr admits she was surprised that Premier Brad Wall has announced his intentions to retire from politics. Carr and the other members of the Saskatchewan Party’s caucus were informed by Wall last Wednesday that he would be retiring. The following day, he went public with the announcement via a Facebook video. Wall, who has been the premier since 2007, will remain the party’s leader and the province’s premier until a new leader is elected. That is expected to happen early next year. He will also step down as the MLA for Swift Current, a job he has held since 1999. “As someone who is new to the caucus, I guess I just assumed that he was going to be there for a few years,” Carr said in an interview with the Mercury. “But after listening when he did announce to us, he explained that his goal was to be premier for 10 years, and that 10 years was coming up in November, so he is going to step down and give someone to get in there and
Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall has announced he will soon retire from politics. File photo get their feet wet before the next election, which is the fair thing to do.” Carr believes the last 10 years have been great for the province, with more people living here and more jobs as well. “Yes, we are experiencing some slower times right now, but we are still better off than we were 10 years ago,” said Carr. During her 16 months in the Sask. Party caucus, Carr found Wall to be very approachable about issues in constituencies. He would listen and do his best to address the concerns. “The other thing I really liked about Brad Wall is I saw him in the hallways
of the legislature, and it amazed he knew everybody who worked there, and he would address people by their first name, whether it was the cleaning lady, the person doing the lunch counter, or just the ministerial assistant wherever they were in the building,” said Carr. He also took time to talk to young people or families taking a tour of the legislature. Carr was quick to say, though, that she wouldn’t be seeking the party’s leadership. It would be great to be the leader, she said, but she has been an MLA for only 16 months. “I’m still learning myself, and we have lots of people in our caucus who are quite capable who have a lot more experience than me,” said Carr. Nobody has informed her of their candidacy, either, so she is waiting to see who will step forward. But she has ideas of might run. “It’s going to happen fast,” said Carr. She noted that any cabinet ministers who are going to run for the leadership will have to step down from their cabinet post by the end of August. If the opportunity arises, Carr would welcome the chance to be part of cabinet.
Three high-profile court case adjourned Three prominent cases were adjourned to future sessions on Monday at the Estevan Courthouse. Michelle Omoruyi was adjourned to Sept. 11. She has been charged with human smuggling and conspiracy to commit human smuggling in connection with an incident in April between the North Portal and the Northgate ports of entry. She was arrested after nine Nigerian citizens and asylum seekers were transported to the Canadian border from the U.S. However, two of her release conditions have been removed. She is no longer subject to a curfew and she doesn’t have to report to the RCMP. Her husband, Victor Omoruyi, has pleaded guilty to harbouring and transporting an alien on the American side of the
border, and is currently serving a six-month sentence. In other court news, Troy Ruzicka’s case has also been adjorned to Sept. 11 while waiting for full disclosure. Ruzicka, was charged with 11 counts related to three female students while he was a teacher at Estevan Comprehensive School. Meanwhile, the case of Bienfait’s Debra Hamann was before the courts for the first time since she was charged in connection with a fatal collision in June at the junction of Highways 18 and 39. Her case was held over to Sept. 18. She is facing charges of impaired driving causing death and dangerous driving causing death in connection with the accident, which killed Bisho Kalappurakkal of Estevan.
“If we have four cabinet ministers who decide they want to run for leadership, they will have to have a cabinet shuffle in September to fill those spots, so that when we sit in October, everything is in place,” said Carr. In a press conference on Thursday, Wall said it’s now time for anyone interested in becoming the party’s leader to prepare their campaigns. Wall said he has been discussing his political future with his wife, Tami, since the end of June. “It’s a hard thing to just even start to talk about, really, just because of how all-encompassing and allconsuming the job can be,” said Wall. But at the end of that month, they knew this was the time for him to end his career in politics. “I think renewal will be good for the province,” said Wall. “I think renewal
Estevan MLA Lori Carr and a different perspective will be good for the government. And I think renewal will be good for the party as well.” Wall said he doesn’t have any plans for what he will do next. Reaction to Wall’s retirement was swift. Nicole Sarauer, the interim leader of the opposition New Democratic Party, applauded Wall for his service to the province, not only as
premier for nearly 10 years but as an MLA for 18 years. “Even though we come from different political parties, have very different perspectives and disagree on many things, I appreciate the commitment that Mr. Wall has shown and the sacrifices he has made while serving our province,” said Sarauer. But she was also critical of the premier, claiming the Sask. Party is “punishing” the people of the province for mismanagement, scandal and waste with cuts, tax hikes and sell-offs. “The Sask. Party has doubled the number of Saskatchewan people looking for work and, in just five years, they are doubling the province’s debt,” said Sarauer. “Even with a new leader, this is still the same Sask. Party that is hurting our kids and loved ones with cuts to our schools and hospitals, WALL ⇢A2
Legion finds itself in tough financial situation By David Willberg dwillberg@estevanmercury.ca
The Estevan branch of the Royal Canadian Legion is turning to the community for financial assistance, in an effort to stay open. Executive members Leonard Grube and Danielle Evenson appeared before Estevan city council on Monday night to discuss the financial issues affecting the legion, to explain how the legion is trying to remedy those problems, and to ask council for financial assistance. Grube noted that he and Evenson are relatively new to the executive. He is the treasurer – the first treasurer the legion has had for some time. Evenson is the ways and means committee chair. “The executive was very unhappy with the information we were given financially,” Grube told council. “The reports were
not completed.” When he started digging deeper, Grube said he found discrepancies that were disastrous. The legion was giving away money they didn’t have. “We always gave, and yet in reality we didn’t have any money to be given,” said Grube. “We had cheques bouncing, and we got into desperate straits.” In a letter to council, branch president Lyle Dukart said the legion found itself carrying a funding shortfall into the fiscal year. Provincial command stepped in and the local branch’s executive has been operating under an advisory committee assigned to it since a review of the financial situation in February. Dukart went on to say that the legion has had increased activities and promotions of hall rentals. The organization has reduced staff numbers and cut hours in the club room, and took
control of expenses. Volunteers are now working in the office as opposed to paid staff. Grube noted the branch has had some fundraisers this year that have been popular, but the Legion can’t have them too often, or people will stop attending. The legion also has a pick-up truck raffle that is a partnership with Murray GM. Funds raised through its poppy sales prior to Remembrance Day each year have to go to specific projects, and can’t be used to pay bills. Bingo nights have traditionally been their top fundraiser, but those haven’t seen the numbers of the past, either. Grube said that in the past, a manager was hired to operate the legion and handle the books, but these people weren’t bookkeepers, Grube said. LEGION ⇢A2
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