Saskatchewan Boom

[lukin]

Is it a coincidence that after years of NDP rule, that Saskatchewan is having a boom similar to Alberta, under a new provincial leadership?

NDP = Take from those who want to do something productive in their lives and give to those who choose not to work, even when they are able to work. It amazes me that the NDP has any support amongst working, tax paying Canadians. The NDP puts the "welfare" in welfare state.

Could you imagine a country with Jack Layton as its PM. My goodness.

[Smallc]

Is it a coincidence that after years of NDP rule, that Saskatchewan is having a boom similar to Alberta, under a new provincial leadership?

The boom started under the NDP, so its not a coincidence, its a selective memory. I guess it must also be a coincidence that the second fastest growing economy is managed by the NDP.

[kimmy]

I think oil prices made a boom in Saskatchewan an inevitability.

What I wonder at is why Saskatchewan is so far behind Alberta when it comes to developing this industry.

Saskatchewan has significant conventional oil reserves of its own, yet the province was for years one of the poorer provinces while Alberta cashed in on its natural resources. If I understand correctly, Saskatchewan's oil industry remains largely serviced by Alberta companies.

And Saskatchewan has its own massive tar-sands resources as well, yet they're only starting to get the ball rolling.

Why did it take so long? For decades people left Saskatchewan to work in other provinces because there wasn't any opportunity at home. Maybe the province wouldn't have lost whole generations of its young people if the governments had been able to put some kind of sensible strategy together far sooner.

-k

[lukin]

The boom started under the NDP, so its not a coincidence, its a selective memory. I guess it must also be a coincidence that the second fastest growing economy is managed by the NDP.

What second fastest growing economy would that be?

[Smallc]

What second fastest growing economy would that be?

Manitoba has the second fastest growing economy in the country, just behind Saskatchewan. Alberta will be third this year as it has slowed. It really has less to do with who is running the place and more to do with the fact that the 4 western provinces have what the world wants.

[lukin]

Manitoba has the second fastest growing economy in the country, just behind Saskatchewan. Alberta will be third this year as it has slowed. It really has less to do with who is running the place and more to do with the fact that the 4 western provinces have what the world wants.

Pardon me, but Manitoba is not booming. Where do you get your info?

[Smallc]

Pardon me, but Manitoba is not booming. Where do you get your info?

Despite the economic downturn south of the border, the Conference Board of Canada has said it expects Manitoba to have the fastest-growing provincial economy in 2008, with 3.7 per cent growth forecast in the province's gross domestic product.

I stand corrected.

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/manitoba/story/20...18/layoffs.html

[kengs333]

I stand corrected.

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/manitoba/story/20...18/layoffs.html

It will not last, as it never does...

[Smallc]

It will not last, as it never does...

Manitoba has oil, and large amounts. There are many different things going on in the province right now, and we seem to have the right leadership to make things happen. Projections have the province slowing down for 2010 and then speeding up again. It could be wrong, but right now, it doesn't seem that there's a shortage of work or growth.

I have also heard that unlike much of the rest of Canada, the jobs created here are coming from mostly the private sector. If thats the case it should be somewhat sustainable.

[blueblood]

Manitoba has oil, and large amounts. There are many different things going on in the province right now, and we seem to have the right leadership to make things happen. Projections have the province slowing down for 2010 and then speeding up again. It could be wrong, but right now, it doesn't seem that there's a shortage of work or growth.

I have also heard that unlike much of the rest of Canada, the jobs created here are coming from mostly the private sector. If thats the case it should be somewhat sustainable.

A conservative leadership would make those things happen much faster. The NDP is so anti-business it's sickening. The reason why Saskatchewan is so much farther behind in infrastructure and economy than in Alberta is because of a socialist gov't. Funny thing is Saskatchewan has far more resources than Alberta.

[Smallc]

A conservative leadership would make those things happen much faster. The NDP is so anti-business it's sickening. The reason why Saskatchewan is so much farther behind in infrastructure and economy than in Alberta is because of a socialist gov't. Funny thing is Saskatchewan has far more resources than Alberta.

Thats what you say, but really you have no proof. From a person that i know who works in the oil patch, I've heard that its true that Saskatchewan has more in the way of resources, but many of them are heard to get at than those in Alberta. Only recently was the technology developed to do it in a cost effective way. Manitoba also has large amounts of oil sand, but they exist hundreds of feet under the ground, and only now is the technology being developed to get at that. Manitoba's conventional oil production has doubled under the NDP.

Infrastructure has been a priority for the Doer government as they have had to clean up the mess that was left by the PC party. It took time to find the money to get it done, but it is getting done now with numbers that have never been seen in this province before.

Under the NDP, Taxes in Manitoba have been reduced by nearly $1B. Though we still have higher taxes for business than other provinces do, it has gotten better under the NDP and there is no reason to believe that the government that didn't get it done through the 90s would move things any faster.

You have to realize that even though you may not agree with the ideology of the NDP (which in Manitoba's case is almost Liberal), they have done nothing but improve this province in almost every measurable area. There is a reason that Gary Doer and his government enjoy such support and popularity and its not because the people of this province are stupid or defeatist.

[blueblood]

Thats what you say, but really you have no proof. From a person that i know who works in the oil patch, I've heard that its true that Saskatchewan has more in the way of resources, but many of them are heard to get at than those in Alberta. Only recently was the technology developed to do it in a cost effective way. Manitoba also has large amounts of oil sand, but they exist hundreds of feet under the ground, and only now is the technology being developed to get at that. Manitoba's conventional oil production has doubled under the NDP.

Infrastructure has been a priority for the Doer government as they have had to clean up the mess that was left by the PC party. It took time to find the money to get it done, but it is getting done now with numbers that have never been seen in this province before.

Under the NDP, Taxes in Manitoba have been reduced by nearly $1B. Though we still have higher taxes for business than other provinces do, it has gotten better under the NDP and there is no reason to believe that the government that didn't get it done through the 90s would move things any faster.

You have to realize that even though you may not agree with the ideology of the NDP (which in Manitoba's case is almost Liberal), they have done nothing but improve this province in almost every measurable area. There is a reason that Gary Doer and his government enjoy such support and popularity and its not because the people of this province are stupid or defeatist.

There is a big reason, it's the city of Winnipeg and the North that puts them into power.

Imagine if we didn't have such high business taxes how much oil would be extracted and how much businesses would get started...

It's easy to reduce the taxes for 1B when we're stealing other provinces money. Hell Quebec even introduced a tax cut.

Yes because gouging businesses is improving the province on so many levels...

The roads were a big mess under the NDP, and it was under election pressure recently that they finally got around to looking at them. It's funny our roads are crap, we don't even have that many of them. Go to North Dakota and then talk about infrastructure.

If the NDP is the gov't of prosperity why were they tossed out of Saskatchewan???

[Canadian Blue]

The Manitoba NDP is basically a third way party in the same grain as Tony Blair's Labour Party in the UK. When I lived their they seemed to support the free market more than their federal cousins, and in todays world more than Stephane Dion and the Federal Liberals. I even supported the NDP at the time.

Even though I'd now consider myself a classical liberal, I found the Manitoba NDP to be alright. Not great, but alright.

Edited September 29, 2008 by Canadian Blue

[Smallc]

The roads were a big mess under the NDP, and it was under election pressure recently that they finally got around to looking at them. It's funny our roads are crap, we don't even have that many of them.

The highways budget has went up every year that the NDP have been in government (excluding their first year). There is more work being done this year than ever before and the improvements can be seen. You aren't going to agree with me because you are fundamentally against anything with the letters NDP on it even when the party does not follow the ideology to go along with those letters. I get it. Many Manitobans though, would disagree with you.

[Smallc]

The Manitoba NDP is basically a third way party in the same grain as Tony Blair's Labour Party in the UK. When I lived their they seemed to support the free market more than their federal cousins, and in todays world more than Stephane Dion and the Federal Liberals. I even supported the NDP at the time.

Even though I'd now consider myself a classical liberal, I found the Manitoba NDP to be alright. Not great, but alright.

I agree with you (though I consider them to be quite good). I can actually see the improvements, and to me that is an unusual thing.

[Smallc]

Regardless though, the boom in Saskatchewan started under the NDP and will actually be a bit slower this year. I don't blame that on the Saskatchewan party and I don't really attribute the success to the NDP. It jsut happened to be when things could start moving...and now their really moving....in all 4 western provinces.

[Canadian Blue]

The truth is that the government really doesn't have much to do with the economy. It's easy to govern when the economy is doing well, the better question is how a government will respond when an economy doesn't do so well.

[blueblood]

The truth is that the government really doesn't have much to do with the economy. It's easy to govern when the economy is doing well, the better question is how a government will respond when an economy doesn't do so well.

It has a fair amount to do with it. Charge high business taxes and kiss investment and business in your province goodbye.

[Canadian Blue]

What I mean is that if a government has reasonable taxation rates, etc. Which I think Manitoba does. Government can generally screw things up big time, but if they were to continue along the same path without making major changes they can't always prevent a recession.

[Smallc]

It has a fair amount to do with it. Charge high business taxes and kiss investment and business in your province goodbye.

Thats not really true, because up until recently Ontario was doing quite well even with the highest business taxes. Manitoba is still doing well (yeah, I know, you don't think it is, but according to the numbers...) with the second highest.

What really plays a huge roll in this is the US economy and also how diverse the provincial economic portfolio is. If resources were to suddenly take a huge downturn in price, MB and BC would actually be better off than SK and AB (not going to happen, but just saying). AB and SK just happen to be lucky that at the moment they have what people need and the technology exits and is relatively affordable in order to access it.

[Canadian Blue]

That's one reason why I support the coming free trade pact with the EU, it'll open up the Canadian economy to Europe as well. The end result will be that we won't be nearly as dependent on the US when it comes to our economic growth.

You gotta love that the Liberals who are supposedly more centrist than the NDP have higher business taxes than both Manitoba and Saskatchewan.

Edited September 29, 2008 by Canadian Blue

[blueblood]

Thats not really true, because up until recently Ontario was doing quite well even with the highest business taxes. Manitoba is still doing well (yeah, I know, you don't think it is, but according to the numbers...) with the second highest.

What really plays a huge roll in this is the US economy and also how diverse the provincial economic portfolio is. If resources were to suddenly take a huge downturn in price, MB and BC would actually be better off than SK and AB (not going to happen, but just saying). AB and SK just happen to be lucky that at the moment they have what people need and the technology exits and is relatively affordable in order to access it.

It can do better, drop the taxes and we'd be on par with Saskatchewan. Take a drive on Hwy. 5 in MB and Hwy. 5 in SK and you tell me that there is more going on in MB than SK.

If resources took a tumble, MB would be in as much crap as SK if not worse. Manitoba has a lot of what people need, why are we so far behind SK??

[blueblood]

That's one reason why I support the coming free trade pact with the EU, it'll open up the Canadian economy to Europe as well. The end result will be that we won't be nearly as dependent on the US when it comes to our economic growth.

You gotta love that the Liberals who are supposedly more centrist than the NDP have higher business taxes than both Manitoba and Saskatchewan.

Free trade with Europe is a pipe dream, I'd like our economy to grow, but Europe's attitude towards Canada is deplorable.

[Smallc]

It can do better, drop the taxes and we'd be on par with Saskatchewan. Take a drive on Hwy. 5 in MB and Hwy. 5 in SK and you tell me that there is more going on in MB than SK.

Its highway 10 in SK...and I drove the whole thing a few weeks ago. Besides the fact that they had paved shoulders (something that the NDP has begun to put on highways that are completely rebuilt here, well, at least partially paved) I didn't really see much difference on either side of the border. In other words, not much on either side.

Now, how about you take a drive into both Regina (or even Saskatoon for that matter) and then Winnipeg (where nearly 3/4 of our pop is) and tell me who has more going on. I'm not saying SK is doing badly, what I'm saying is that Manitoba is also doing well. I'm very happy for Saskatchewan, but I'm very proud of Manitoba and all the opportunities that are presenting themselves.

Edited September 29, 2008 by Smallc

[Smallc]

Free trade with Europe is a pipe dream, I'd like our economy to grow, but Europe's attitude towards Canada is deplorable.

There's no reason that we shouldn't try to open up that market.