Your View

What they did not tell you is the 6% still gets put on cars from out of province, a little trickery

Posted November 7, 2007 08:33 PM

Ex Sask Resident, I'll correct you, the SaskParty was formed by disgruntled members of the Sask Liberal and the Sask PC party. Both of those parties are still in existence in Saskatchewan.

Posted November 5, 2007 09:45 PM

I do not want to sound to radical, but could all of the people posting from Alberta shut-up please! If i were you i would be more concerned about your politics after the Liberal party there bought up thousands of PC memberships so they could choose the Klein successor.What a joke.

Posted November 3, 2007 10:53 PM

Um.... I lived in Saskatchewan during the Grant Devine era.... My friends who still live in SK keep telling me the Sask Party has a shot at winning this election!!!

Um hello!!!!! Correct me if I'm wrong, isn't the Sask Party made up of a significant number of former Devine PC members? Wake up people.... The wolf is just wearing a different disguise this time....

Having said that... The NDP need to start capitalizing on the wealth of natural resources that Saskatchewan has....

Easier to try and fix the NDP, who did a decent job of cleaning up after the Devine fiasco, than to open the door to the wolf again....

Posted November 3, 2007 07:04 PM

The facts are quite clear, conservatives are more generous to charities in real dollars and as a percentage of their incomes. Think of church goers.
Lie all you want, but those are the facts.
As far as the Devine government, which I was no fan of, the total money missing was less than a million dollars and there were two NDP'er convicted as well.
Murdoch Carriere's hush money from Calvert and Pat Atkinson's government was $275,000.00.
These are facts, they may be inconvenient.
As far as the province getting back on it's feet under the NDP, if you check with the provincial auditor you will find that many of Lorne Calvert's balanced budgets were anything but balanced. They suspended the use of the GAAP when they used the Fiscal Stabilisation Fund. Somehow in the years they claimed balanced budgets the total debt went up.
Once again, these are the inconvenient facts.

Posted November 2, 2007 08:55 PM

I had to lol at Stan's claim to a conservative donating more money, this may have been true during the Devine years as most of the elected conservatives were crooks. As for donating more blood the conservatives bled the Saskatchewan taxpayer dry that it took 15 years for the province to get back on its feet, if this is what a conservative is all about we need to be keep sending them to Alberta.

Posted November 1, 2007 04:26 PM

I hear people complain about roads health care and poor farmers,then these same people are happy about tax cuts this harper, sask party, brad wall conservative whatever it is have been running on emotions every election.Saskatchewan people think with there heads.

Posted October 31, 2007 02:09 AM

Brad, the premier will not do anything about health care unless there is an election in the air. Your health is simply a tool to be used by him to hang on to power, that's why we see no improvements in health care until it is politically advantageous for Lorne to do it.
If he had decided on a spring election, we would have had to wait and suffer for another six months for improvements.
It's time we changed that.

Posted October 30, 2007 09:20 AM

What has conservatism done? Google 'Who Really Cares', it's a book that stands conventional wisdom on it's head.
Conservatives are more likely to donate blood, more likely to volunteer, they donate more money in real terms and as a percentage of their incomes.
So which side of the political perspective doesn't give a shit about anyone?

It's quite laughable to see the NDP trying to scare people with success, if all the people who went to Alberta to find work didn't like it better, why did they stay?
If the NDP has made Saskatchewan into a workers paradise, why have all the workers left?
The oil doesn't start at the Alberta border, but common sense politics does.

Posted October 29, 2007 07:28 PM

Reclassifying LPN's as RN's is redundant. Even if you open up seats in the Practical Nursing programs, there are no instructors to teach them. I know personally of 10 women in the Estevan area that would take the Practical Nursing program right now, but cannot, due to the fact that they would have to move to Regina to for two years with their children. Take into mind that most young working mothers are of a higher ratio of single mothers out there.
In Estevan, St. Joseph's hospital is over half empty. It would do some good to use those empty facilities as training labs for the practical nursing programs, but, then again.....there are no instructors.
How does one solve that problem?? This healthcare crisis is so big that it is not money that will fix the problem. It goes way deeper and the history of it goes waaay back.
For those that say, "how about a change". Your memories are short and the province had to be dug out of a hole so deep that we are just now back at ground level. Have a look at what conservatism has done for the U.S. and Alberta. Not a whole lotta good, unless you are filthy rich and don't give a shit about anyone else except yourself.

Posted October 27, 2007 01:16 PM

The NDP brags about balancing the budgets, oddly the provincial auditor says they have run several deficits.
Why wouldn't the NDP tell us the truth? Why the smoke and mirrors?

Posted October 27, 2007 12:37 AM

I've been completely disgusted by the NDP's scare tactics. What kind of person goes around lying to little old ladies about old folks homes just to keep themselves in power?
They have proved to me that they are unfit to govern us.

Posted October 27, 2007 12:25 AM

The NDP has been in power too long and not doing a good job
Our highways are a disaster and awful driving on them
Our medical terrible. It takes 2 years to get in to Regina for an ultasound. What good is that??
There has been no help for the farmers, except to close schools making it more difficult to get children to school.
Wages in this province are too low.
i think a govt should not be in longer then 8 years
Time for a change

Posted October 24, 2007 01:06 AM

Election time in Saskatchewan brings out the best in people. It is one of the only times the electorate actually say what they think, or say without thinking. Reading some of the comments, I see that those siding against the current administration are using the same political reasoning that pops up at election time. "We need change" , "Give it a try" , and comments how the premier looks. Now those are some concrete political views upon which to base our province's future. That is exactly what concerns me. The thought process of some in the electorate seeking change are of the same mind set. We hear this type of thought on coffee row, in the media, and in our communities. Do we leave the future to chance (a la 1980's)? Coming from the place where T.C. Douglas began his political fight I would honestly think that Saskatchewan people are of higher intelligence and political savvy than to listen to these hollow types of reasoning for making decisions.
Another concern and question people should consider. The recent announcements from the Sask Party and their vision of the future seem to be painted with the same quasi-socialist brush as the NDP announcements. An NDP supporter would not mind being called a socialist but would a Sask Party supporter? Their policies are taking on a more socialist slant. Why is that? Is that because there has been a complete policy overhaul, or is it to try and gain the electorate's trust in a quest for power? This is a question worth considering when making a choice.

Posted October 24, 2007 12:54 AM

With regards to the following October 19th comments from Brad:

"I cannot believe what i am now hearing from the NDP. They would like to lower the voting age to 16. Give me a break.Are they going to lower the age for consuming alcohol and tobacco as well."

Talk about the point being missed entirely. What the NDP is proposing is a Citizen's Assembly on Electoral Reform, similar to those that existed in BC, PEI, & Ontario. It's goal is to study ways to modernize our archaic electoral system, the most significant of which is PROPORTIONAL REPRESENTATION. Not only is the voting age issue perhaps the smallest component to the electoral reform package, it is merely to be studied when the Citizen's Assembly is founded. NOWHERE in the NDP proposal does it indicate IT WILL BE IMPLEMENTED without due consultation. You did not read it correctly.

Proportional Representation means that if a party gets 40% of the popular vote, it gets 40% of the seats, no more, no less. Variations of this voting system are used in over 70 nations.

Mr. Brad, a resident of Regina, may know that in 2003, ONE in FOUR voters in the 11 Regina-area ridings supported the SaskParty. But did the SaskParty receive 25% of Regina seats? No. They receieved 0%. It would have been good for urban SaskParty voters to have a like-minded MLA to go to bat for them. Conversely, NDP and Liberal voters have no representation in rural areas. Under the current system NDP and Liberal votes are wasted if they are cast in rural Saskatchewan. Let alone the prospects of the Green Party. This can lead to strategic voting or dropping out of voting altogether. Not good for democracy.

The fact that the NDP has offered to put the wheels in motion for Saskatchewan citizens to determine the course of Electoral Reform here gets my immediate support.

Posted October 23, 2007 10:11 PM

Little do people know that if the pst on used cars is removed, you will STILL PAY the pst on lease return vehicles and out of province vehicles - since the pst has not been paid on them in the first place.
Funny that the Sask party didn't mention this small fact.

Posted October 23, 2007 08:45 PM

Michael,i hope you still vote in this election even though you think all parties are crooks.
Can anyone tell me why we cannot seem to receive any diagnostic equipment/techs in this province? Should we not construct another MRI clinic? Why not have a private-for-profit diagnostic clinic?Would it be able to cut down wait times for the public system? Can the federal gov't remove some red tape so the educated & skilled immigrant's may come here and help us out?

Posted October 23, 2007 03:41 PM

Steve (Regina) wrote:

After reading the Boards............

Bravo Steve!!! An exceptional point and comments. When you look at it, its amazing how many have gotten all in a tuft over this ridiculous promise, myself included.

Well done Verne for catching my error. I originally had calculated it over 10 years, but then decided 7 was more within the time frame of buying a vehicle, however forgot to adjust the math accordingly.

AND...

Yes, Exceptional point Brad. The nursing shortage could be well addressed if the gov't would use its head and put the two year program back into effect. I know several friends who attended the 2 year program in its day and all are exceptional nurses as far as I know. But perhaps the focus needs to be moreso on the bigger picture of health care as a whole rather than just on the nursing issue. Yesterday while waiting to see a specialist, a lady came in to see why she had not received a call regarding the referral her doctor sent in for her. They advised her that the average wait time was between 6-8 months before they addressed any of those as they were so far behind. THAT is a REAL crisis that needs to be addressed, not cutting the PST on used cars, not lowering the voting age to 16( I mean, COME ON....), not giving welfare families $50 a month if their kids go to school. Once again, I have to say its not the party I want to vote for( I really could care less if the Sask Party, the NDP, or the Liberals get in, they are all crooks in my opinion) What I care about is someone getting in who will actually do something about the TRUE issues that we, as a province need addressed.

Posted October 23, 2007 09:41 AM

This has nothing to do with PST but it is about the Saskatchewan Party I stopped and asked the person who is running in my riding what will happen to the programs that I as a single low income working mother rely on to raise my children. She told me nothing that they would stay the same but on the same note she asked me what will I do if in four years if my son is a meth addict and I have nowhere to send him to get treatment. What kind of question is that are they trying to scare me so that I vote for them.

Posted October 22, 2007 12:42 PM

Don't get to overly attached to the "no Pst on used cars " even if we take a backward step again, and put in another conservative/sask party or whatever they call themselves. They will probably put it back in a few months, just like their former boss Devine did with the gas tax Remember that big promise? It sure didn't last long and cost us a $16B debt.

Posted October 21, 2007 10:12 PM

I just want to say congrats to Steve. You hit the nail on the head. I was reading the Sask party platform and not one thing is really said about a green plan. Nor do I believe they have one. This is a very important issue,
Living in Alberta you see how well a green plan is working there, it's not, our rivers and lakes are being more and more polluted each and every day by big business. Alberta now has a problem with cf (cystic fibrosis) in babies stats show 1 in 3 babies are born with it. Whats that going to do in the cost of health care? So everyone out there take and think about whats important to us as a province....... Promises that can't be fulfilled, or a healthy life style one can be proud of, where everyone can contribute to this great province of ours...... not big corps and companies who take all our hard earned money you know the rich get richer and well us middle class we get wiped right out. Think about your future, your grandchildren and your great grand children. I say this too about our federal gov as well. And right now what matters to our Harper Gov is not our enviorment....... it's all about big business.

Posted October 21, 2007 01:29 AM

I think the NDP's undisclosed political contributions scandal will hurt them. If I paid money to hear Lorne Calvert (Ralph Furly)speak, I wouldn't want anyone to know either.

Posted October 19, 2007 11:33 PM

After reading the Boards
#1-Lets all stop getting are feathers in tuff and start talking like adults, no slander, no over reaching arguments, just thought out questions or observations that can added to are collective discussion. AND SHOUTING GETS YOU NOWHERE, IF YOU WANT TO BE TAKEN SERIOUSLY

2#-PST is a non issue who cares really, used car sales men
3#- Farmers are hardworking people, that love what they do. But having a discussion about mm lets say gay rights, aboriginal issues you might see a different side, to see the interests of farmers just look at the Canadian Wheatboard, and Organic vs Chemical/GMO Debate, American and European Subsidize (get educated)
4#- Are resources will always be there, Oil prices will never plumit, At what cost to the environment do we go after these products, sustainable like or Alberta like, Like wise the coal will all ways be in estavan, The "Bong Idea" for the coal power plant should be developed, China will need to buy this technology in the future, this is a reality,
5# Aboriginal issues need to be addressed(No racial comments,or systemic racism please) I have seen none except Karwaky it won't fly
6# I see no major platform presented by Sask Party that is innovative or resembles anything that a young person who is not conserned with how big of truck he owns and how big a house he can build, in who’s interest is it for the Sask party to win, who is pushing for the NDP, do we treat the next four years like regina treaded it's development of the east end, or do we as voters' demand long term and sustainable future, in which our grand children will have to pay for a select few's desire to make a quick buck at the expense of a society as a whole
7# Sasky needs a Realistic carbon, oil, garbage, pesticide, herbicide reducing platform and discussion, we are such bad polluters on the whole
Read a book, and vote with your morals and your community, not for what is best in it for your self personally

Posted October 19, 2007 06:38 PM

Believe me, there are lots of farmers thinking, if I could re-locate to Alberta like the urban workers I would. (Just think, oil wells to pay taxes and make land payments, no provincial sales tax and an off farm job that would let my wife make real money instead of the minmum wage jobs she is forced to work at in the closest communities we can drive through over pothole riddle roads)Unfortunately you can’t sell a farm in Saskatchewan and buy one of equal size in Alberta for the same dollar value. Therefore until the banker makes good on his threats to foreclose I am forced to struggle on criticized by urban relatives and ignored by NDP governments. Ah but don’t feel too sorry for me, I’m likely safer than most after I heard the crime statistics for Saskatchewan, and so far CBC is still posting my blogs. One blogger pointed out every government has its share of problems.. that’s true but we still need a government that looks out for the whole province and every citizen not just certain sectors and that is what has happened under the NDP. Would it be any different under the Sask. Party or the liberals… we won’t know until we give a try.

Posted October 19, 2007 04:42 PM

Dear David and all you other lefties and Liberals alike.Get some spine and facts before you speak.You did not ask me about ideas for the nursing shortage.But i will take your criticism as a question.Is there a way to bring back the 2 year, old-school diploma nursing program instead of the current 4 year degree program?The old-school nursing diploma program was phased out in the late 90's.Current LPN's are the same as old school diploma nurses. We need to coin them diploma nurses now unlike the degree nurses, who the majority want a management position.We need duty(on the floor) nurses.We need to reclassify current LPN's as RN's now.We need to make more LPN seats available @ SIAST and cut back on seats for the Degree program.
Anyways, you are obviously going to vote NDP.So what do you think of the debt-stricken drug plan of your party?what about the Great idea that you do not have to pay PST on energy-efficient things like vcr's and dvd players.(I suppose that makes more sense to you over the tax on used cars,heh?).What about the latest brainy idea of your NDP party who wishes to lower the age of voting to 16.(I suppose that sounds like a great idea,too,heh?

David and other NDP lefties & Liberals need to unbrainwash themselves.

Posted October 19, 2007 02:16 PM

If this promise actually sways voters...people are missing the point!

Tax cuts such as this have little use in my opinion. Granted paying pst two or three times on the same vehicle seems silly but even at $100 a year over the time I own a used car matters very little to me, that's less than $10 a month. Come on people. Where's the talk of more training spaces for trades, nurses...oh wait one party has addressed that in the election campaign. The other only complains about the incumbants record while offering no alternative other than a pst rebate on used cars...I guess that puts the SaskParty right up there with Used-car salesmen...lofty company.

Why has there been no talk of training dollars and facility improvement for surgeons and medical schools. We need to train and retain not only nurses but specialized MD's as well. I wonder what the average age of the surgreons in Sask is right now. Alot of them quality of CPP and Old age pension...that problem is not going away and the Brad from Regina's of the province are squabbling over used cars and $30 bucks. Nice, at least he mentioned nursing...but only to criticize and much like the SaskParty he didn't offer any well though-out alternatives.

I went into this election looking for change but given the lack of tranparancy, the rhetoric and the lack of focus in the SP campaign and the fact that there is no REAL third option I think change is going to have to wait.

I think the SaskParty expects to win because "it's time for change" but are forgeting that they have to earn votes.

PST on used cars??? Give me a break!

Posted October 19, 2007 01:45 PM

I cannot believe what i am now hearing from the NDP. They would like to lower the voting age to 16. Give me a break.Are they going to lower the age for consuming alcohol and tobacco as well.Kids of that age could care less about politics,and i don't blame them.I had better things to do at that age. And by the way MICHAEL, what party are you voting for.You know my position.Do you think you have enough spine to be held accountable for anything? Thanks.

Posted October 19, 2007 01:35 PM

yes, I agree that there should be cuts on used cars. That will cut costs down some on the price. I'm just a first timer in buyer a car and i'm looking at used cars. So this cut will help take down the price. But if we cut the pst on used cars, what going to happen to the new cars?

Posted October 19, 2007 12:06 PM

After reading Michael from Regina I get the feeling that he must be typical of a lot of NDP supporters as he cannot even get his math to come out correct, when I went to school $700 divided by 7 years equaled $100 not $70 as he claims.

Posted October 19, 2007 10:08 AM

After reading all the wonderful comments from Brad in Regina across the Blogs, it almost makes me wonder if its isn't Brad Wall!!!

Personally, I think this is one of the dumbest election promises. Realistically, the average person buys a new or used vehicle every 5-10 years. The last one I bought, I paid about $700 PST on. So, average that out over 7 years and its $70 a year savings for me. I think it would have made more sense to shave another percentage point off the PST as a whole, and let those who have a need to buy and sell multiple cars continuing paying the tax. Put a TRUE rebate back into the hands of ALL taxpayers, not just a select few.

I like Kathy from Prince Albert's comments. Yes, Calvert let a lot of bad things happen. So did Devine, so did....... Fact of the matter is, it really doesn't matter who is in power, there is still going to be corruption and back door dealings, and anyone who tells you otherwise is either stupid or naive...or a politician! The only thing a person can do is to vote for the INDIVIDUAL they think will do the best to represent their interests and constituency and let the chips fall where they may. Lets face it, no government ever carries out 100% of their promises.

Posted October 19, 2007 09:26 AM

As an outside observer, it seems to me that the Saskatchewan Party wants to implement similar economic and social policies as Alberta. This means sky-high cost of living, a homeless crisis, rampant poverty, daily traffic nightmares, and a critical lack of infrastructure, schools, daycares, hospitals and shelters. If this is what you want in Saskatchewan, then by all means, vote for the Sask Party. This is not fear mongering either because I have to live with this misery every day in Alberta. The plan to cut the PST on used vehicles is just another ploy from the Sask Party to divert attention from their real agenda. For me personally, if the NDP are re-elected, Saskatchewan will get one more resident.

Posted October 18, 2007 04:20 PM

with only 3 communist places left North Korea, Cuba and Saskatchewan you have to wonder when people will realize the NDP attacking profit as evil means there is nothing to share, except transfer payments from Centerist conservative governments.

Posted October 18, 2007 02:03 PM

I noticed a comment which slandered the Sask Party on the point of privitization. That's odd, because it's the NDP who have sold both the Lloydminster and Regina oil refineries. If they were truly a socialist party they would not have sold major natural resource processors such as that. Futhermore, who would have thought, it would be a socialist government to usher in major gambling facilities.

Posted October 18, 2007 01:22 PM

It would seem that Calvert has allowed a lot of bad things happen on his watch. Murdock Carrier, this current fraud scandle, Spudco and a feeling of protecting their own. Calvert way of handling the Carrier mess left many woman shaking wondering what might happen to them in the workplace.

Lorne would you like to have your daughters or granddaughters dealt with the way you treated these dedicated civil service employees?

Campaigns are dirty. The NDP seem to win by playing the same game election after election such as advertising fear and doom along with faxes and email going out spreading fear and intimidation about a government change. This is why people just loose interest and stay home and don't vote.

In the last two by-elections the NDP vote stayed home and the Sask Party voters got out. It will be interested to see what happens this time. The ads will drive the flavor. I think the American style ads disgust our core values. We will see how the Calvert record plays out. I for one am really tired of their ethics and antics.

Kathy from PA

Posted October 18, 2007 07:40 AM

HEH DUMBCANUCK!WHOOPS, DID I SPELL THAT RIGHT?DIDN'T YOU GET MY POINT? THE SYSTEM GOT SCREWED UP WHEN THEY WENT FROM THE 2 YEAR DIPLOMA PROGRAM TO THE DEGREE PROGRAM IN THE LATE 90'S.THIS WAS NATION-WIDE. IT IS TOO BAD BECAUSE THE OLD SCHOOL NURSES KNOW JUST AS MUCH(PROBABLY MORE) THAN THESE DEGREE NURSES. YES, CHRETIEN AND THE REST OF THE LEFT-LEANING LOSERS SHOULD HAVE KNOWN BETTER. AND YOU SCREWED UP THE PST ON USED VEHICLES AS WELL. GET YOUR FACTS BEFORE YOU MAKE SUCH STATEMENTS.

Posted October 17, 2007 09:23 PM

Onecanuck from Regina writes that there is no PST charged on used vehicle sales under $3000, he is wrong, the truth is only purchases from private sources are exempt under $3000, purchases made from dealers or at auction sales are charged PST & GST at point of sale no matter what the price happens to be.

Posted October 17, 2007 09:53 AM

I think scrapping the PST on used vehicles would be a bad idea. esp with regards to the vehicles which are not hybrids. Increased pollution will cause more green house gases to be emitted causing the Al Gore effect. I would rather urge the SaskParty to only consider scrapping the PST for used Hybrid vehicles.

Posted October 17, 2007 12:16 AM

Brad - is it the NDP's fault that there's a nursing shortage across Canada? Get a grip dude. Saskatchewan isn't the only province with this problem. Why don't you finish telling the rest of the story about pst on used vehicles like THERE IS NO PST ON VEHICLES UNDER $3000. Who do you think is driving vehicles under that amount? You're a typical tory that spews half truths and not the facts.

Posted October 16, 2007 11:22 PM

Why would the Sask party do this? It is an established tax, people pay it, they still buy used cars (I don't think the used car market has suffered!)Come on, lets think of something more enticing then this!

Posted October 16, 2007 10:27 PM

Great idea taxed only once.The old way of tax was like selling same car to two or three people

Posted October 16, 2007 07:19 PM

THE SASKATCHEWAN PARTY has the first common-sense election promise> no more pst on used vehicles! What scares me about the NDP is their promise for universal drug plan.This will put us into debt like no-one can imagine.NDP'ers think Devine was bad>i don't think so.Even Janice Mckinnon(former NDP finance minister)is saying this plan from the NDP is going to greatly exceed estimates given by Calvert.
Watch out for the NDP( NEW DEBT PARTY).
And by the way the NDP party is to blame in large extent for the nurses shortage.For those who do not know,the old school Diploma program(2 years) was extended to the 4 year degree program under the NDP.
Of course our overall health system, in such dissaray as it is,was the Liberals doing under Chretien.
It appears that the REAL WOLF in sheeps clothing is LORNE CALVERT & THE NDP.

Posted October 16, 2007 06:23 PM

The Saskatchewan PST on used vehicle sales is a sore point with many people and therefore makes a great red herring to divert attention from the Sask Party's lack of a complete, transparent, and credible election platform. I must say Mr. Wall exhibits pure genius when it comes to avoiding real issues such as privatization of crown corporations, etc.

But in all fairness to the Sask Party I can't say that I've ever seen a provincial election in which every party is promising so many things to so many people that none of them could implement all of their promises without significant tax increases or massive cuts elsewhere.

Posted October 16, 2007 06:06 PM

Never could understand why the NDP HAD TO IMPLEMENT THE PST ON USED VEHICLES IN THE FIRST PLACE. BUT BACK THEN THEY WERE LOOKING TO TAX LOTS FOR GOODS AND SERVICES ONLY TO DISCOVER THEIR COFFERS WERE OVERFLOWING. MAY BE THEY NEEDED THE MONEY TO ADVERTISE HOW GREAT SASKATCEWAN IS AT THE SUPERBOWL

Posted October 16, 2007 05:13 PM