Sometimes, you just can鈥檛 say it as well as the politicians can say it in their own words.
There again, sometimes, one suspects/ the politicians likely very much regret what they鈥檝e said.
Whatever the case, here are some best聽 (and worst) quotes from our provincial politicians and senior public servants in 2016:
鈥淚 try to blend principles and politics. Sometimes principles win.鈥� Jan. 4, former NDP leadership hopeful Ryan Meili who had just tweeted 鈥淰ery sad to see (NDP leader) @cambroten change his position, ignore @sask_NDP policy on FN (First Nation) revenue sharing."
鈥淚f you really don鈥檛 like prison food, there鈥檚 one way to avoid it: Don鈥檛 go to prison.鈥� Jan. 6, Premier Brad Wall facing criticism for privatized delivery of food served in remand centres.
鈥淓ver wonder what the Sask. Party did with our resource wealth? They flew it away.鈥� January NDP pre-election advertisement targeting government money spent to fly in Japanese senseis to teach 鈥渓ean鈥� techniques in health care.
鈥淭he government usually isn鈥檛 in the business of buying land.鈥� Feb. 4, Provincial Auditor Judy Ferguson鈥檚 initially assessment on the Global Transportation Hub buying 204-acre land for $103,000 an acre.
鈥淭he choice is pretty clear this election. Action or talk. Forward or backward.鈥� March 7, Wall on the day he called the election.
鈥淏rad Wall鈥檚 mother should have taken an abortion pill.鈥� Deleted Facebook post that forced Weyburn-Big Muddy candidate Mark Jeworski on March 11 to resign 鈥� one of four NDP candidates dropped for past social media posts.
鈥淵ou ripped off nuns and that鈥檚 the gospel truth.鈥� March 23, Broten during the provincial leaders鈥� debate, referring to the GTH land once owned by Our Lady of the Missions.
鈥淣o tax increases.鈥� June 1, government highlight of 2016-17 budget that would eventually prove to have a billion-dollar deficit.
鈥淭his might seem alarmist or overly dramatic, but it鈥檚 not.鈥澛� June 9th, Wall on the 鈥渆xistential threat鈥� of the federal NDP鈥檚 Leap Manifesto that he said was feeding the anti-Keystone XL pipeline.
鈥淭he GTH鈥檚 unique board governance and the active involvement of the GTH Chair/Minister (Bill Boyd) and multiple government agencies added complexity to buying the East Parcels 鈥he Office found the Government did not take sufficient and timely action to mitigate its, and ultimately the taxpayers鈥�, exposure to paying for increases in land values.鈥� June 30, Ferguson in her report on GTH land deal.
鈥淭he Auditor found no wrong-doing.鈥� June 30, Wall, quoting a press release issued by Ferguson that day.
鈥淚 have no words to describe how sorry I am to my family, to my colleagues and to all the people of Saskatchewan for my actions. But saying sorry is not enough.鈥� Aug. 6, former deputy premier Don McMorris after being caught driving with a blood alcohol content well over the .08 legal limit.
鈥淚 call on Saskatchewan people to rise above intolerance, to be our best and to be the kind of neighbours and fellow citizens we are reputed to be.鈥� Aug.14, a Wall Facebook post in the wake of racially charged hate posts following shooting death of 22-year-old Colten Boushie of the Red Pheasant First Nation.
鈥淭o start moving the province back to balance, significant restraint measures are needed.鈥� Nov. 22, Finance Minister Kevin Doherty in the mid-year update of his 2016-17 budget.
鈥淭he audit did not conclusively state there was no evidence of fraud, conflict of interest or wrong-doing with respect to these GTH transactions.鈥� Nov. 28, Ferguson, before a legislative committee clarifying what her she trying to in say in her GTH report and press release.
鈥淗ow is it going to change behaviour? This is not the best way to fight climate change.鈥� Dec. 7, Wall signalling he would not sign on to the federal carbon pricing agreement.
Murray Mandryk has been covering provincial politics for over 22 years.
