SAVE the STC!

[Oscar]

The Council of Canadians defends the Saskatchewan Transportation Company, opposes Wall's austerity budget

[ http://canadians.org/blog/council-canad ... ity-budget ]

March 25, 2017 - 7:41 am

The government of Saskatchewan premier Brad Wall intends to close the Saskatchewan Transportation Company, a provincial crown corporation created in 1946 by the CCF government of Tommy Douglas.

CBC reports, "In this week's provincial budget, Finance Minister Kevin Doherty announced STC would be shuttered after more than 70 years of continuous service to some 200 communities. Workers to cancer patients to seniors have expressed outrage."

That article highlights, "University of Regina professors JoAnn Jaffe called STC an essential public service. She doubts a private operator will serve smaller communities or provide anywhere close to the number of jobs that are being eliminated. Fellow University of Regina professor Cindy Hanson said the closure will lead to more pollution and more highway damage if people are forced to drive cars and trucks. The poor, elderly or disabled will simply not be able to travel."

The Saskatchewan Transportation Company's freight service is scheduled to end of May 19 and passenger service is to stop on May 31.

Saskatoon-based Council of Canadians Board member Tracey Mitchell says, "We need to resist this decision and the rest of the terrible decisions in this budget. We elect governments to make decisions about what to do with the resources that we collectively share. When they make grave errors in that process we can and should hold them accountable."

As for those other terrible decisions, the Saskatchewan Office of the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives notes:
[ http://behindthenumbers.ca/2017/03/23/s ... al-budget/ ]

• While the government’s budget cuts and tax increases landed disproportionately on the shoulders of the poor, it simultaneously lavished multiple tax breaks on corporations.
• There are the mean-spirited cuts to funeral services for social assistant recipients, that will save the government a mere pittance.
• The government is also reducing the already meagre allowance of social assistance recipients.
• [The government plans] to increase the provincial sales tax [including removing the PST exemption from children's clothing].
• Cuts to libraries will reduce programming and resources that so many people of limited means rely on for both education and leisure.

On that last point, the Regina Leader-Post reports, "For most library districts in the province, provincial funding has been cut between 50 and 60 per cent. The funding decrease will now result in staff cuts and an impact on services to many rural libraries." CTV adds, "The cuts [will also] reduce funds to Saskatoon and Regina libraries by about $1.3 million."

When public transportation, funeral services for the poor, and library services are cut, while corporations receive tax breaks, it becomes clear that austerity is not an economic necessity, it's a political choice.

Mitchell says, "Please look for links about organizing meetings, rallies, and other opportunities to speak up for the things that matter to us."

Further reading

Regina chapter calls on Wall government to reject austerity in its provincial budget (March 21, 2017)
[ http://canadians.org/blog/regina-chapte ... ial-budget ]

Regina chapter slams Wall government's budget (June 2, 2016)
[ http://canadians.org/blog/regina-chapte ... nts-budget ]

#skpoli

Brent Patterson's blog
Political Director of the Council of Canadians
[ http://canadians.org/blogs/brent-patterson ]

[Oscar]

Prince Albert & Regina chapters at 'Stand Up for Saskatchewan' anti-austerity rally

[ https://canadians.org/blog/prince-alber ... rity-rally ]

May 24, 2017 - 3:57 pm

The Council of Canadians Prince Albert and Regina chapters were at the 'Stand Up for Saskatchewan' rally outside the provincial legislature this afternoon.

The outreach had noted, "SGEU [the Saskatchewan Government and General Employees' Union] is organizing a big rally at the Legislature in Regina to tell the Sask. Party government Saskatchewan people don’t want public service cuts, rollbacks and privatization! Government has squandered the province’s finances on over-priced consultants, shady land deals, and costly megaprojects. Now it is trying to force Saskatchewan people to pay for their financial mistakes."

The outreach then highlighted just a few of the actions Premier Brad Wall's government is taking that will hurt families and communities:

• Demanding a 3.5 per cent public service cut
• Firing government cleaners and contracting out their work
• Privatizing public services in areas like Justice, Highways, food services in Correctional centres and young offender facilities
• Selling off the Saskatchewan Transportation Company (STC)
• Cutting funding to libraries, post-secondary institutes, municipalities
• Raising sales taxes, which hurts low and middle income families most
• Taxing kids clothes, and restaurant meals
• All the while – giving away millions through new corporate tax cuts

Today's rally said 'No' to the government's austerity agenda.

Council of Canadians chapters in Saskatchewan have been vocal and active in rejecting Wall's austerity budget that was delivered on March 22.

#skpoli


Tags: chapters
[ https://canadians.org/tags/chapters ]


Brent Patterson's blog
Political Director of the Council of Canadians
[ https://canadians.org/blogs/brent-patterson ]

[Oscar]

Court dismisses injunction on STC closure

[ http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatoon ... skatchewan ]

Judge rules government did nothing wrong in shutting down Crown bus corporation

CBC News Posted: May 26, 2017 12:30 PM CT| Last Updated: May 26, 2017 1:52 PM CT

A judge has dismissed an injunction that would stop the closure of the Saskatchewan Transportation Company.

In a written decision delivered Friday, Justice L.M. Schwann wrote that the provincial government has the authority to shut down a Crown corporation if it sees fit to do so.

"Funding decisions concerning the allocation of public financial resources fall within the policy-making function of the government as a whole," read the decision. "Those sorts of decisions are of a political nature and considered immune from a judicial review."

Lawyers for Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1374 argued that the move violated the province's Crown Corporations Public Ownership Act. The union argued that the government needed to hold consultations and discussions on the merits of shutting down the STC.

It also argued the sudden closure of the STC would hurt citizens, especially people in rural and remote areas of the province.

Lawyers added that shutting down the bus company amounted to privatization, because the closure would lead to private companies taking the place of the STC. The judge disagreed.

The provincial government said it was pleased with the ruling and would continue with plans to shut down the corporation.

"Today's judgment by Justice Schwann has affirmed the legality of our government's actions regarding the wind up of STC," read a release from the province. "Wind up efforts will continue accordingly. We want to thank the Court for rendering the decision quickly."

Meanwhile, the Amalgamated Transit Union admitted it was disappointed by the ruling, and is currently looking over the decision to see if there are grounds to appeal.

"This was our last stand, basically," said union local president Eric Carr. "Next week, the doors are closing and people are walking away."

The decision to shut down the STC was announced in this spring's provincial budget. In the last fiscal year, the bus company lost more than $13 million dollars.

The province has hired the business services firm KPMG to sell all of STC's assets and will come up with a plan to maximize the amount of money that would come from a sale.

The last day for passengers to ride an STC bus is May 31.


Related Stories

■ Court hears arguments for putting brakes on STC closure
■ 'It's going to be quite a nightmare': Passengers outraged by Sask. bus closure announced in provincial budget
■ Saskatchewan rural bus service a must for vulnerable people: B.C. First Nation
■ Cancer patients looking for ride as Sask. provincial bus service winds down
■ 'Lay off our Crowns': Saskatoon residents protest STC closure
■ STC spent $21K to send 105 passengers by taxi during temporary shutdown
■ Protesters swarm cars outside dinner event hosted by Sask. Premier Brad Wall
■ Express decision: Judge expected to rule on STC injunction next week
■ Saskatoon's Tiger Courier to pounce on STC rural parcel shipping
■ Group says 'people will die' with loss of Crown bus company
■ Union for STC workers taking province to court over bus service closure
■ STC closure to affect many Sask. residents

[Oscar]

Transportation Week Proclaimed in Saskatchewan

[ http://www.saskatchewan.ca/government/n ... ation-week ]

Released on June 1, 2017

In recognition of the people working to keep Saskatchewan’s economy moving, the Government of Saskatchewan has proclaimed June 4 to 10 Saskatchewan Transportation Week.

“Saskatchewan’s transportation industry connects our producers and manufacturers with consumers, which is vital to the success of our economy,” Highways and Infrastructure Minister David Marit said. “Whether helping move goods and products to market or building and maintaining infrastructure, this week is about recognizing the thousands of people who make it happen.”

“We appreciate the recognition that the government bestows upon those who work within the transportation and logistics industry year after year,” Saskatoon Transportation Club President George Eckel said. “We’re also grateful for their continuing investment in infrastructure, which will greatly benefit the transportation industry and make transporting goods more efficient.”

The Government of Saskatchewan is investing $1.1 billion in highway infrastructure this year, which will fund work on major projects and 990 km of provincial highways across the province. This represents the second largest highways and infrastructure budget in Saskatchewan history, and the second year in a row that the budget exceeds $1 billion.

“Investing in priority areas like transportation infrastructure is a major part of our government’s plan to ensure the economy remains strong,” Marit said.

“We are pleased the government continues to invest in our province’s transportation infrastructure,” Saskatchewan Heavy Construction Association President Shantel Lipp said. “An efficient transportation network is the key foundation of a strong economy; nothing moves until the roads are built. We are honoured to be recognized for our contributions in building and maintaining a safe transportation network for all motorists.”

A weekly construction update is published on [ www.saskatchewan.ca/residents/transport ... ion-update ] throughout the spring and summer months to provide the travelling public with the latest construction information. Drivers can also check the Highway Hotline for road construction and restriction information at [ www.saskatchewan.ca/highwayhotline ].

Since 2008, the Government of Saskatchewan has invested $7.4 billion in transportation infrastructure, improving more than 12,000 km of Saskatchewan highways. -30-

For more information, contact:

Brandy Leippi, Highways and Infrastructure, Regina
Phone: 306-787-8484
Email: brandy.leippi@gov.sk.ca

[Oscar]

Wall’s lack of planning is a transportation crisis for many SK residents

[ http://www.stopthecutssk.ca/walls_lack_ ... _residents ]

Posted on June 28, 2017

There is a transportation crisis in Saskatchewan. Until May 31 we had Saskatchewan Transportation Company that was, by all accounts, one of the best bus passenger services in Canada. In Wall’s rush to privatize STC he didn’t allow enough time for a responsible "wind-down" or to learn about the consequences of the cut, and now we have a crisis:

•People are being air-evacuated for medical reasons to urban centres and find themselves without return transportation;
•Seniors and disabled people are left in rural and remote locations without public transit; and
•People are hitchhiking everywhere or privately paying friends to drive them.

A Saskatchewan human rights complaint suggests this may cause death to Indigenous women.

When people call Wall’s office his administration has the audacity to suggest Stop the Cuts is responsible.

According to Stop the Cuts, this isn't true, not by a long shot. As per provisions in the Highway Traffic Act, objections were filed by private citizens, as per the designated procedure to get running rights—this is the democratic right of citizens and is prescribed in the Act itself.

Wall should know the Act and he should have included procedures for shutting down STC that allowed time to privatize the bus service without depriving many Saskatchewanians of their ability to move around the province. They managed to plan ahead with the privatization of the liquor stores so people wouldn't be deprived of their booze, after all.

Important to the citizens of Saskatchewan and the HTB hearings to date is that out of the 9 companies or so that have applied for operating authorities, 4 filed for limousine or charter service. 4 more applied for one route each and one other applied for 5 routes.

Martin Wooldridge, one of the objectors, notes that “None of the applications cover small towns. In total, perhaps 7 routes will be covered (out of 252 run by STC) if all of the current applications are approved and Saskatoon will only be connected to Regina and Alsask. There's been no-one asking for routes north of Saskatoon and none offer transportation to disabled people.”

Cindy Hanson another objector stated, “Many objectors are now asking for is a public inquiry – something the HTB has the mandate to provide. The HTB is tasked with providing a transportation system that is safe, affordable and accessible – it will be very hard for them to do this on the basis of applications made thus far, and following on the record of STC.”

The Highway Traffic Board has not yet decided on any applications made through the hearing process. -30-

For more information call Martin Wooldridge at 306-771-4669 or JoAnn Jaffe at (306) 652-6309 or 306-220-6078.