Things Are Heating Up In Advance Of The Upcoming Saskatchewan Provincial Budget
In Canada's parliamentary system, Question Period consists of a fixed daily period of time in the Chamber when the Opposition can ask questions of the Government in an attempt to seek rationale for Ministerial actions and policy. Generally, the Opposition asks the questions and the Government is supposed to provide the answers.
Occasionally someone in the Government slips a question in, trying to make a point. That can sometimes go badly for the Government. Here is a brief exchange from the Saskatchewan Legislature - March 15, 2010 between Saskatchewan Finance Minister, Rod Gantefoer and Opposition Finance Critic, Trent Wotherspoon:
Hon. Mr. Gantefoer: — Mr.Speaker, I ’m not sure what part of previous budget that the member opposite is unhappy with [...]
Mr. Wotherspoon: — The minister who’s supposed to be answering questions is asking questions, so I respond. What don’t we like about the last budget? The $1 billion dollar deficit; the 110 per cent miss on potash revenue projections; the double-digit, runaway, out-of-control spending of this government; the fact that this government, in just two years, has taken this province from $2.3 billion of surplus and a booming economy to a $1 billion dollar deficit.That ’s shameful. The fact that when this game started here this year, we had a $3 billion revenue projection; now we ’re making cheques back to the potash companies to the tune of $200 million.That’s a chronology of failure. We ask that . . .
The Speaker: Order . . . [inaudible interjection] . . . I agree.
But I want to make sure the member ’s aware of the fact that
what we ’ve agreed to in regards to placing of questions.I would
ask the member to place his question directly.
Mr. Wotherspoon: — With respect to this chronology of
failure, I ask the minister, what’s your plan?
Occasionally someone in the Government slips a question in, trying to make a point. That can sometimes go badly for the Government. Here is a brief exchange from the Saskatchewan Legislature - March 15, 2010 between Saskatchewan Finance Minister, Rod Gantefoer and Opposition Finance Critic, Trent Wotherspoon:
Hon. Mr. Gantefoer: — Mr.Speaker, I ’m not sure what part of previous budget that the member opposite is unhappy with [...]
Mr. Wotherspoon: — The minister who’s supposed to be answering questions is asking questions, so I respond. What don’t we like about the last budget? The $1 billion dollar deficit; the 110 per cent miss on potash revenue projections; the double-digit, runaway, out-of-control spending of this government; the fact that this government, in just two years, has taken this province from $2.3 billion of surplus and a booming economy to a $1 billion dollar deficit.That ’s shameful. The fact that when this game started here this year, we had a $3 billion revenue projection; now we ’re making cheques back to the potash companies to the tune of $200 million.That’s a chronology of failure. We ask that . . .
The Speaker: Order . . . [inaudible interjection] . . . I agree.
But I want to make sure the member ’s aware of the fact that
what we ’ve agreed to in regards to placing of questions.I would
ask the member to place his question directly.
Mr. Wotherspoon: — With respect to this chronology of
failure, I ask the minister, what’s your plan?
