On choices

Murray Mandryk weighs in on the ever-more-public debate over the Cons' equalization promises. And if indeed Harper has gone back on his plan to remove non-renewal resources from the equation, Mandryk clearly sets out that the price is the Cons' own self-declared reputation for honest government:

You can argue that it was stupid politics for former prime minister Paul Martin to offer Newfoundland and Nova Scotia their own separate deals excluding non-renewable resources and that it was even stupider politics for Harper to promise the same thing.

What you can't argue, however, is that this is exactly what the Tories promised.

Calvert is being purely political -- and, frankly, a bit nasty -- but there's really no reason to believe that his assessment of his meeting with Harper is anything but accurate. In fact, given the duplicitous and mealy-mouthed displays we continue to see from the Saskatchewan Conservative MPs whenever the equalization file comes up, there's every reason to suspect Calvert is completely justified in now playing the political card.

For example, in an interview with James Wood of the Saskatoon StarPhoenix on Friday, Skelton had the audacity to scold Calvert for this poor "negotiation" tactic.

"There are still negotiations going on," Skelton aid. "When you negotiate -- and the premier of all people should realize -- when you negotiate you don't go out babbling to the media. If I was dealing with someone I wouldn't be kicking them in the shins, shall we say."

But Ms. Skelton, you promised the $800 million in the election. There are no negotiations here. Either you're an honest politician who keeps a promise or not. Which is it, Ms. Skelton?

It remains to be seen whether Harper can be shamed into carrying out his commitment to Saskatchewan. But it should be without doubt that a clear promise from a government which has listed federal/provincial funding as a top priority represents Saskatchewan's best chance to secure the deal that other provinces have received. Which indeed means that there's every reason for Saskatchewan's government to directly confront PMS as Calvert has - and just as much reason for Saskatchewan's voters to ensure that any attempt to back out of the promise is thoroughly punished at the polls.