NDP Finance critic Harry Van Mulligen is bringing forward  a private member’s bill in the Legislature. The Reporting of Federal Transfers Act, 2008 would see greater clarity in the government’s reporting of what funds have been received from the federal government as transfer payments versus what the province generates in own-source revenue.

“This is simply another way in which the provincial government can be held more accountable by the people of our province,” Van Mulligen said. “If it’s right there in black and white, detailed for everyone to see, it removes the cumbersome process of going through other documents line by line to find this information.”

Van Mulligen believes this new legislation to be necessary and points to the Sask Party’s refusal to follow through on the Constitutional Challenge on Equalization as a prime example of why. The Premier has previously said that by dropping the court challenge, a more constructive relationship with the federal government could be forged which would pay larger dividends to the province than the estimated $800 million per year than was promised through Equalization.

The need for the bill was highlighted by the Sask Party’s insistence on misleading the public on how much money it receives from the Harper government. Highways and Infrastructure Critic Ron Harper raised the case of Brad Wall stating that recent funding for a bridge in Saskatoon is “outside of what every other province gets.” In actual fact, the money to fund the bridge is available to every other province in Canada.

“The provincial government has so far had a hard time communicating the benefits of this so-called friendly relationship to the people of our province,” Harper said. “If a separate document detailing the amount and purpose of federal transfers is created, perhaps the premier and the Sask Party will have an easier time explaining how new and unique federal funds will add up to over $800 million per year.”

 

Deb Higgins

Moose Jaw Wakamow

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