The Editor:聽
When it comes to financial sacrifice, Brad Wall clearly has no interest in practicing what he preaches.聽
Wall had no problem saying he expects 鈥済oodwill and good faith鈥� from public sector workers while threatening them with layoffs and pay cuts.
He clearly had no problem telling 251 custodial workers, the lowest paid government workers, they鈥檒l be fired as soon as he chooses a contractor to replace them with employees who are paid even less.
But when Wall had a chance to show leadership and integrity by giving up some of his own income, he wanted no part of it.聽
Wall is now the last premier in Canada to accept a salary top-up from his party. It鈥檚 paid out of donations to the Sask. Party, meaning Wall is personally taking money from the corporations and wealthy individuals that his policies benefit.聽
Wall鈥檚 $37,000 鈥渢op-up鈥� is about the same as what a full-time government custodian makes in a year. He could give it up and still be making a taxpayer-funded salary of $166,140.聽
When B.C. Premier Christy Clark recently stopped accepting her own stipend, Wall was encouraged to do the same. He refused.聽
Is this the kind of premier we want running our province? One who continues pocketing tens of thousands in corporate donations each year, while throwing hundreds of Saskatchewan workers out of their living-wage jobs?聽
Don鈥檛 be fooled, we鈥檙e not all in this together.聽
Wall and his government are exempting themselves from having to make financial sacrifices in tough economic times, despite expecting everyone else to compromise.聽
Sid Wonitowy
Yorkton, Sask.
