NDP vows not to sell off Crown corporations

NDP leader Cam Brotensays if his party iselected, itwillnot sell off any of the province's Crown corporations.

Broten made the pledge ata campaign stop in Regina on Tuesday.

Saskatchewan's Crown corporations include SaskPower, SaskEnergy, SaskTel and Saskatchewan Government Insurance.

Broten saidCrowns are an important part ofaffordability for everyday families. Earlier in the campaign, the NDP repeated a traditional pledge to give the public the lowest-cost bundle of utilities in Canada.

On Tuesday,Broten also called on Brad Wall to disclose any plans he has to sell off Crowncorporations in the future.

"In the last election, Mr. Wall kept all those plans secret he didn't tell Saskatchewan people he wasgoing to sell off profitable Crowns and protected land," Broten said in a news release.

"But that's exactly what he did,even in good economic times. Now that he's looking for money to plug his deficit, what sell-off planis Mr. Wall hiding?"

The release cited the government's sale of Information Services Corporation and its plans to sell 40 SLGAliquor stores as examples of warnings for future Crown sales.

• NDP makes low-cost utilities promise, pledges tax cut
• Saskatchewan NDP adds 4 new candidates to the ballot
• Saskatchewan NDP pledge to trim spending on 'bloated' health-care administration

Background informationprovided with the release also used an example out of Manitoba to cast selling Crowns in a negative light.

"After promising not toprivatizeManitoba Telecom Services, the Conservative governmentsold it off in 1997. Manitoba familiespay 22 per cent more on their telephone bills compared to Saskatchewan families,and 38 per cent more for basic home phone service," the NDP said.

The NDP says Manitoba Telecom Services has 114,000 fewer customer connections than SaskTel, but its net incomeis 72 per cent higher because ofhigher rates and "inferior services."

"We, the people of Saskatchewan, own these Crowns and we should benefit from that ownership,"Broten said. "Selling off Crowns is reckless and will hurt affordability for families."

Wall says 'major Crowns' off the table

When asked to respond to the NDP'scharges, Sask. Party leader Brad Wall said the province's four big Crowns SGI, SaskTel, SaskPower and SaskEnergy will not be sold or privatized.

"There'ssomethingwe signed on to called the Crown Corporation Protection Act, or to thateffect.Basically, it protects Crownsfrom beingprivatized," he said. "If elected, we will make one change to that:that's to the liquor retailing in the province. And we've already announced that."

"Will [the Act]be changed with respect to [SaskTel]? No.SaskPower? No. SaskEnergy?No. SGI? No," he said. "With respect to the major Crowns,we will not bechangingit if we're re-elected again."

In an email to CBC, a Sask.Party representative clarified that they would not privatize Crowns mentioned in theThe Crown Corporations Act, 1993.