Exactly what kind of government the Saskatchewan Party will be in its second term is a question of vital consequence to us all.
To the Sask. Party, it's a question critical to how long it stays in power. A competent government in this strong economy that doesn't get weighed down by either corruption or arrogance can breeze through a second term and be elected for a third term with ease. This is of critical importance to the NDP as well. If the Sask. Party is successful and the NDP remain far removed from the prospect of power, we will see a major political shift in this province.
And the competency of this Sask. Party is of particular interest to the rest of us who bear the consequences of either a good or bad government.
Of course, what lies ahead for Premier Brad Wall's administration is impossible to predict. Much can happen in a four-year span.
But if the initial days - including its first Speech from the Throne after re-election - are any indication, things seem to be on course for Brad Wall's team. There are, however, a few disconcerting bumps that we should all watch closely.
While the NDP railed on the Sask. Party government for the lack of specifics in last Monday's throne speech in areas like agriculture and the environment and no broader vision for the province as a whole, there's little to indicate that the record 64-per-cent that supported the Sask. Party would suddenly be dissatisfied with that vision they've seen from the government so far.
The throne speech was mostly a recitation of the Sask. Party's modest election promises now familiar to us all - help for diabetics and the disabled, improved pensions for low-income seniors and help with nursing home costs, breaks for families with kids in extra-curricular activities, tuition help for graduating high school students pursing post-secondary education next year.
Coupled with legislative plans to implement a lobbyist registry, improved Internet and cell coverage through SaskTel and a plan to get tougher on gangs in prisons it makes for a modest but well-focused legislative plan.
Minding the store so that Saskatchewan people are well served and letting the booming economy take care of itself has quickly become Wall's trademark. It's also a relatively easy way for governments to stay out of trouble - something that will be critical for the Sask. Party government in this term.
With a couple opposition terms and one full-term of government now under the belts of most Sask. Party MLAs, the prospects of getting into trouble increases. This is particularly so in a large 49-member caucus.
Wall is wise to keep harping on the need for humility and public service to this government. If the Sask. Party government can stick to plan of competent manager of the economic wealth we have suddenly been blessed with, there is every reason to believe that Wall and the Sask. Party will govern this province for years to come.
The problem is, it may be increasingly difficult to stick to that script.
We got a bit of a taste of how difficult that was late in the last term of the Sask. Party government when the merger of St. Peter's College and the public Carlton Trail College in the Muenster and Humboldt. The story developed into a massive fiasco with plenty of auditor-backed concerns of financial mismanagement.
One of the first orders of business of the re-elected Sask. Party government was to announce that no criminal charges are arising out of this mess, but there were plenty of other reasons to be concern about the lack of vigilant monitoring by the minister, education officials and especially the political partisans appointed to the Carlton Trail board.
The Sask. Party government needs to do better than this. Its longevity may very well depend on avoiding such messes.
Murray Mandryk has been covering provincial politics for over 15 years.
