Trail blazing

A few notes from the Saskatchewan election campaign today:

- The environment has become such a big issue federally that even Harper's Cons have had to at least try to pretend to care about it. But on the provincial level, it's received little attention from either the Sask Party or the Libs (give or take the odd mention of recycling or parks), while Saskatchewan's Greens have apparently failed to gain even the slightest bit of traction. Which means that the NDP's strong environmental platform could help to cement the environmental vote in Calvert's column.

- Meanwhile, the Libs' Saskferco selloff plan looks like an interesting strategic move. Since the suggestion focuses attention on the idea of selling public assets, it figures to help the NDP more than anybody by reinforcing its message about the Sask Party. That said, it may also shift some anti-NDP votes into the Libs' column if part of the pro-privatization crowd decides to throw in its lot with a party which doesn't hide its desire to dispose of public assets.

Now, that result isn't one that I'd mind seeing by any stretch. But it doesn't seem to fit at all with the Libs' apparent strategy of trying to overtake the NDP as the opposition to a Sask Party government.

- Finally, the Sask Party has announced an interesting test for political judgment, where as long as problems with a party's candidates were publicly known before a campaign, the party shouldn't be criticized for implicitly endorsing them. By this standard, several former cabinet ministers may find themselves right at home in Wall's party.