It sure has been quiet on the provincial political scene since the SaskParty formed government. Everyone is anxiously waiting to see who is appointed to all the new positions that are available when a new government comes to power.
One interesting note is that Doug Emsley, among others, is on the SaskParty Transition Team as Chief of Transition and Special Advisor to the Premier. This is no surprise to those who closely follow politics in Saskatchewan. Emsley is eminently qualified and deserving of this new position he currently holds. He is Chairman, President, CEO, and Board Member and other titles to everything from politics to banking to security to agriculture to oil & gas to public policy and back to politics and this is just the short list. You can view a biographical note of Doug Emsley at this Internet address http://www.bankofcanada.ca/en/bios/emsley.html for more details. I congratulate Mr. Doug Emsley. I am sure he will serve as a great asset to our new Premier, Brad Wall.
The other interesting note is that Mr. Emsley has also served as a trustee on the infamous Metro Fund and I understand he still serves in this position. If not, then it is news to me and I stand corrected. The Metro Fund was set up by the old Progressive Conservative Party and contains a very significant amount of funds that are at the centre of dispute between those still active in the old PC Party and the trustees of the Metro Fund. It is likely this on-going saga will only be settled in court to determine how the fund has been managed since the PC Party was placed in hiatus and to determine what should become of the funds managed by the current trustees.
Mr. Emsley has been a long time conservative and, if memory serves me correctly, headed up former Prime Minister, Joe Clark’s leadership campaign in Saskatchewan. Emsley is all the proof we need that there is plenty of talent right here in Saskatchewan, without looking outside our borders for qualified people, to serve our new SaskParty government.
Finally, what is wrong with being a conservative? I have been a conservative all my life. The NDP should give up calling the SaskParty conservatives. Of course they are conservatives and good for them. What’s in a name? Stephen Harper became a conservative, less the progressive, formed government and became Prime Minister. Conservatives and liberals came together to become SaskParty conservatives, formed government and Brad Wall is now our new, young, bright and articulate Premier offering hope upon hope over fear. So what’s the problem? Well, there are none unless you’re not a conservative.
