As the province considers merging the head offices of SGI and SaskTel, the Saskatchewan NDP wants assurances the two Crowns won’t eventually be sold off as a result. NDP Leader Carla Beck forwarded an emergency motion in the Legislature Tuesday, seeking a guarantee no jobs will be lost as a result of the potential office consolidation and no whole or partial selloffs of either Crown corporation will occur after the fact. SGI and SaskTel are exploring the possibility of combining their two head offices in Regina, as both of their existing buildings are nearing 50 years of age. If pursued, the two organizations would be headquartered at SaskTel’s head office located at 2121 Sask. Drive. The leader of the Official Opposition said concerns over the future of the two Crowns were justified given the Sask. Party’s track record in managing Crown corporations as a whole. “Yesterday we had a minister stand up and suggest that not only had this government not privatized any Crown corporation, but that they don’t plan to privatize anything. Call me skeptical,” Beck told reporters Tuesday. “I’ve stood in that assembly, I’ve heard them describe STC as a as an essential service before an election and then shutter it afterwards. Whatever the definition they want to use is, the fact is that we have fewer Crown corporations, fewer dividends from our Crowns, and fewer jobs from our Crowns than we did before this government took power.” During question period, Premier Scott Moe said the potential merger would result in no job losses. “We don’t need a motion that the Opposition has suggested they might be putting forward; there’s actually a law … it’s called the Crown Corporation Public Ownership Act and it ensures that SGI, SaskTel, [and] SaskPower will not be divested,” Moe said in his response to the opposition. “… The NDP can continue with what feels like fearmongering to the people of this province. It’s this government that is going to strengthen the Saskatchewan economy and thereby strengthen the Crowns that are offering utilities — affordable utilities in this province.” The government refused to grant leave for Beck’s motion. Beck said thousands of jobs have been lost at SaskTel through “creeping” privatization and contracting out at that organization – as well as others. “I think it comes down to a matter of trust,” Beck said. “The record of this government, on keeping their word when it comes to Crowns, their record on driving up debt in the Crown corporation and driving down the number of jobs is pretty well established at this point and their record of not being straight with the people of this province ahead of an election and what they do afterwards — I think people have caught on to that as well.”
