        Although I may not be a staunch conservative and didn’t always agree with what the Sask Party was doing… I don’t agree with everything the federal Liberal party is doing either… I personally walk a strange line of agreeing with certain things on one side and other things with the opposite, I even find myself agreeing with the NDP and Green Party on occasion. I do ride the centre line pretty well though when it comes to political beliefs.
               My views mostly deviate from conservatives when it comes to healthcare and education – to me they should be the most important things out there for our population in general – but I do understand how important business is… having said that we can’t have support for healthcare and education without making our province an appealing place to be for capitalists. I have learned they have done more for education than I was aware of and are the reason I am still a Saskatchewan resident – and didn’t do the classic Alberta move – with their implementation of the Graduate Retention Program.
               I think any time you decide to run for a political office it is something that you have to think long and hard about. It’s not something anyone takes lightly. They’re passionate about their town, R.M., province, or country and have made the decision to serve the populations of those communities.
               When I look at Justin Trudeau, do I see the perfect leader and party in power? Not a chance, but I do see someone who has a vision for the country and is passionate about people. Do I agree with the vision – some things, not all – but I respect that they have a vision.
               When I look at Brad Wall, I see the same thing. Someone who has dedicated his life to people, who has had to make ridiculously difficult decisions for over a million people that won’t make everyone happy, but those decisions were based on a clear vision for what he and his party wanted to see for Saskatchewan, which is commendable.
               In order for the Sask Party to win 51 out of 61 seats in 2016, yes it has to do with local Members of the Legislative Assembly relating to their constituents, but a lot of it had to do with Brad Wall at the helm. It’s an impressive feat and one which had him ranked as the highest rated Premier across Canada.
               He made the decision to retire from politics and announced it today (Aug.10) after first entering the ring in 1999 as the Swift Current MLA; I can tell you that everyone from the southwest loved him then, and in 2004 he was named leader of the Sask Party, which saw him become premier in 2007 – Saskatchewan made a big decision to move from the NDP government to a Conservative government.
               Having studied history in university, I have come away with a belief that applies to democracies, and that is the government in power needs to be shaken up every 10 years. Wall retiring is that shake up, which will allow new ideas within the government to blossom and for them to potentially look at a new vision along their party lines. This is something Wall confirmed in his press conference the morning of his announcement, saying that he thought this was best for the party and will allow new ideas to blossom under new leadership.
               I want to thank Brad Wall (and his family) for dedicating much of his life to serving Saskatchewan people (supporting him in his efforts) and doing what he felt was in the best interest of the people of this province. I may not always agree with aspects of this vision, but I do appreciate his efforts in fighting for his party’s vision – which the majority of people in the province do agree with. Democracy at its finest. He has demonstrated very strong leadership over the years and I appreciate his efforts as Premier, which is a job I definitely do not envy.
               So, thank you Mr. Wall for serving this province, through easier times and more difficult times, with heart. We appreciate your efforts.
