Sask NDP Brings Some Reality To Premier Brad Wall's False Claims

Saskatchewan's Premier, Brad Wall has a bad habit of yammering on and on about how much better things are in the province under a Saskatchewan Party government compared to the former New Democratic government. He spouts this line endlessly without giving any actual facts or figures.

Yesterday, in the Saskatchewan Legislature, Wall answered a few questions that blow holes in his fabrications:

Hon. Mr. Lingenfelter (NDP Opposition Leader): -I want to ask a very specific question to the Premier. Can he tell me how many oil wells were drilled in the province in 2007, and how many were drilled in 2009 . . .

Hon. Mr. Wall: — Mr. Chair, the answer to the member‟s question: in 2007, 2,297 oil wells drilled — this is the information I‟ve just been provided — 2,297 oil wells drilled, ‟07; 2,824, ‟08; down significantly in ‟09, 1,610 oil wells drilled.

The Chair: — I recognize the Leader of the Opposition.

Mr. Lingenfelter: — So when we deal with facts, the number of oil wells drilled between the last year of the NDP and 2009 is down considerably. [...]

The Chair: — I recognize the Premier.

Hon. Mr. Wall: — Mr. Chairman, when we deal with facts, when we deal with facts, the number of oil wells drilled increased significantly in the first year of our government. And then, and then when the biggest recession to hit the world hit the world in 2009, when the price of oil for a while touched into the 40‟s, West Texas Intermediate, when drilling was back across the country, was decreased across our country and around the world, yes the numbers went down, Mr. Chairman. So I‟m not sure what Sherlock‟s discovered by that, but I‟ll be interested in the next question.

The Chair: — I recognize the Leader of the Official Opposition.

Mr. Lingenfelter: — What a lot of people are curious about is that you don‟t tell complete answers. You talk about things getting much better, but when it comes to natural gas, can the Premier tell me what, the number of gas wells drilled in ‟07 when Lorne Calvert was the Premier, and in 2009? What were the numbers then?
The Chair: — I recognize the Premier.

Hon. Mr. Wall: — Mr. Chairman, similar, similar numbers frankly: 1,156, Mr. Chairman, in 2007 increasing to 1,221 in the first year of our government. And then when the price fell out of gas — something the member should know about — when the price fell out of natural gas, down to 233 is the forecast when we close out the numbers for 2009.

The Chair: — I recognize the Leader of the Official Opposition.

Mr. Lingenfelter: — Mr. Speaker, the reason the public is interested in these numbers is because they hear you talking about how everything has gotten better under your management. And they hear . . . [inaudible interjection] . . . well if you can spin that, if you cheer that, here‟s what the members are cheering about. The number of gas wells drilled in 2007 was 1,217, and they cheer about the fact that it‟s gone down to 330. And they all cheer for that.


And it gets worse ... 'Farm income to drop by half - Forecast predicts decline for province"'