Why Are Members Of The Saskatchewan Party Taking Funds Belonging To The Sask Progressive Conservative Party?
Love political intrigue? We have a situation in Saskatchewan where officials and activists in the Saskatchewan Party have gained control of the Trust Fund of the Progressive Conservative Party of Sask. To keep the Sask PC's from actively contesting provincial elections, former PC trustees have joined the Saskatchewan Party and now hold $3,000,000 of PC money. The endgame is simple. Brad Wall does not want to see his provincial support split to the PC's.
However, this looming scandal is now the 'elephant in the room' ... how can the Saskatchewan Party hold control of $3,000,000 that belongs to the Progressive Conservative Party? Here is how it started in the Saskatchewan Legislature yesterday when New Democrat MLA, Kevin Yates attempted to ask questions of the Sask Party government.
For the record:
1) no government Member rose to answer any of the questions:
2) no MSM news outlet in Saskatchewan will carry this story (Not CBC - Leader Post - Star Phoenix - NewsTalkRadio .... I wonder why? ... media bias .. or more likely, 'Libel Chill'???)
Mr. Yates: — Mr. Speaker, my question is to the Minister of Justice. Does the Premier consider the Saskatchewan Party to be the Saskatchewan conservative party? - (No Member of the Government stood to reply)
The Speaker: — Order, order. I want to remind the members that the questions should relate to ministerial duties or responsibilities. I recognize the member from Regina Dewdney.
Mr. Yates: — Mr. Speaker, once again to the Minister of Justice: if the Premier's party is not the Saskatchewan conservative party — and of course it is not — why are members of his party taking funds belonging to the Progressive Conservative Party of Saskatchewan?
The Speaker: — Again I remind the member the question should be directed to the ministerial responsibility of members. If ministers want to respond, we'll let them respond. I recognize the member from Regina Dewdney.
Mr. Yates: — Mr. Speaker, does the Premier consider it appropriate for the Saskatchewan Party to deny the Progressive Conservative Party of Saskatchewan its money in order to prevent its participation in provincial elections?
The Speaker: — Again I must remind the member of the rules that the questions are to be related to the ministerial responsibility of the ministry. I recognize the member from Regina Dewdney.
Mr. Yates: — Mr. Speaker, once again my question is to the Minister of Justice. The Premier has a pattern of taking things that don't belong to him. Will the Premier return the $3 million, which was taken by the Sask Party, to the Progressive Conservative Party? The Speaker: — I again remind the member under rule 19(2) that questions should be directly related to ministerial responsibility. I recognize the member from Regina Dewdney.
Mr. Yates: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Once again my question is for the Minister of Justice. Does the Premier believe taking money belonging to another political party is legal?
The Speaker: — I remind the member again from Regina Dewdney of rule 19(2) that questions are directly related to ministerial responsibility. I recognize the member from Regina Dewdney.
Mr. Yates: — Mr. Speaker, once again my question is to the Minister of Justice. Does the Premier believe that the money should be returned to the Progressive Conservative Party of Saskatchewan?
[14:30]
The Speaker: — I again remind the member that the questions should be related to ministerial responsibility. And if the questions are not related to ministerial responsibility, then we will move to the next question. I recognize the member from Regina Dewdney.
Mr. Yates: — Mr. Speaker, my question to the Justice Minister is this: does the Premier believe that the money that was put aside in a trust fund by the Progressive Conservative Party of Saskatchewan should be immediately returned to the Progressive Conservative Party of Saskatchewan? The Speaker: — Again, again I bring to the attention of the member from Regina Dewdney, the question does not relate directly to the ministerial responsibility of the Minister of Justice. Next question. The member from Regina Dewdney.
Mr. Yates: — Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. My question to the Minister of Justice is: in a fair and unbiased electoral process, should all political parties have the right to run candidates and use the funds raised by them in a fair and impartial electoral process?
The Speaker: — I remind the member of the rule, and ministers if they so wish may respond.
From Hansard - Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan
April 12, 2010
However, this looming scandal is now the 'elephant in the room' ... how can the Saskatchewan Party hold control of $3,000,000 that belongs to the Progressive Conservative Party? Here is how it started in the Saskatchewan Legislature yesterday when New Democrat MLA, Kevin Yates attempted to ask questions of the Sask Party government.
For the record:
1) no government Member rose to answer any of the questions:
2) no MSM news outlet in Saskatchewan will carry this story (Not CBC - Leader Post - Star Phoenix - NewsTalkRadio .... I wonder why? ... media bias .. or more likely, 'Libel Chill'???)
Mr. Yates: — Mr. Speaker, my question is to the Minister of Justice. Does the Premier consider the Saskatchewan Party to be the Saskatchewan conservative party? - (No Member of the Government stood to reply)
The Speaker: — Order, order. I want to remind the members that the questions should relate to ministerial duties or responsibilities. I recognize the member from Regina Dewdney.
Mr. Yates: — Mr. Speaker, once again to the Minister of Justice: if the Premier's party is not the Saskatchewan conservative party — and of course it is not — why are members of his party taking funds belonging to the Progressive Conservative Party of Saskatchewan?
The Speaker: — Again I remind the member the question should be directed to the ministerial responsibility of members. If ministers want to respond, we'll let them respond. I recognize the member from Regina Dewdney.
Mr. Yates: — Mr. Speaker, does the Premier consider it appropriate for the Saskatchewan Party to deny the Progressive Conservative Party of Saskatchewan its money in order to prevent its participation in provincial elections?
The Speaker: — Again I must remind the member of the rules that the questions are to be related to the ministerial responsibility of the ministry. I recognize the member from Regina Dewdney.
Mr. Yates: — Mr. Speaker, once again my question is to the Minister of Justice. The Premier has a pattern of taking things that don't belong to him. Will the Premier return the $3 million, which was taken by the Sask Party, to the Progressive Conservative Party? The Speaker: — I again remind the member under rule 19(2) that questions should be directly related to ministerial responsibility. I recognize the member from Regina Dewdney.
Mr. Yates: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Once again my question is for the Minister of Justice. Does the Premier believe taking money belonging to another political party is legal?
The Speaker: — I remind the member again from Regina Dewdney of rule 19(2) that questions are directly related to ministerial responsibility. I recognize the member from Regina Dewdney.
Mr. Yates: — Mr. Speaker, once again my question is to the Minister of Justice. Does the Premier believe that the money should be returned to the Progressive Conservative Party of Saskatchewan?
[14:30]
The Speaker: — I again remind the member that the questions should be related to ministerial responsibility. And if the questions are not related to ministerial responsibility, then we will move to the next question. I recognize the member from Regina Dewdney.
Mr. Yates: — Mr. Speaker, my question to the Justice Minister is this: does the Premier believe that the money that was put aside in a trust fund by the Progressive Conservative Party of Saskatchewan should be immediately returned to the Progressive Conservative Party of Saskatchewan? The Speaker: — Again, again I bring to the attention of the member from Regina Dewdney, the question does not relate directly to the ministerial responsibility of the Minister of Justice. Next question. The member from Regina Dewdney.
Mr. Yates: — Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. My question to the Minister of Justice is: in a fair and unbiased electoral process, should all political parties have the right to run candidates and use the funds raised by them in a fair and impartial electoral process?
The Speaker: — I remind the member of the rule, and ministers if they so wish may respond.
From Hansard - Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan
April 12, 2010
Wow.
Posted by
thebanana |
5:12 pm, April 13, 2010
This story is going to be huge when it finally breaks. This afternoon, I was contacted by someone and I have it on good authority that the Regina Leader-Post has a bad case of 'Libel Chill' in that if they report on the story they can expect lawsuits ... you will also be aware that their owner, Canwest Global, has serious financial problems and has no desire to get into expensive litigation.
Meanwhile, a story that has dominated the Legislature for 2 days in a row HAS NOT HAD ONE LINE OF PRINT IN THE SASK DAILY PAPERS, ALL OF WHO ARE OWNED BY CANWEST GLOBAL.
..... more to come ....
Posted by
leftdog |
5:34 pm, April 13, 2010
The weird part is that CanWest wasn't shy about reporting at least the outline of the case before - albeit without much apparent investigation of their own. Is there any apparent reason why they're going dark now?
Posted by
Greg Fingas |
7:51 pm, April 13, 2010