March 12, 2024 | Advertise with us

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Good morning. On this day in 1989, British computer scientist Tim Berners-Lee submitted a proposal for an information management system to his colleagues at CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research. This proposal is considered the birth of the World Wide Web, marking a pivotal moment in the development of the internet as we know it today. And here we are on the Web writing newsletters about Saskatchewan politics!

Here’s The SKoop for today:

• Scott Moe remains one of the most popular Premiers in Canada,

• A look at year-end MLA and caucus ad spending, and

• Saskatchewan announces new investment attraction strategy.

P.S. Please share The SKoop with your networks. At the bottom of this email you will see a new referral section - share The SKoop and gain points towards winning prizes like gift cards and a pair of AirPods. Thanks!

Moe’s approval steady in new Angus Reid polling

More than half of Saskatchewan residents approve of Premier Scott Moe. Angus Reid released their quarterly Premier Approval Ratings and 53% of those surveyed approved of Moe’s performance. Broken down further, 25% strongly approve of the Premier while 33% strongly disapprove. Historically, Moe has been at the top of the leaderboard. Most recently in December, Moe was the most popular Premier in the country with 54% approval. His highest approval was 65% in 2020, and his lowest was 43% in the fall of 2021.

Manitoba premier Wab Kinew topped the approval leaderboard at 63% approval, while New Brunswick premier Blaine Higgs was last at 31% approval.

(Angus Reid)

Sponsored by the Saskatchewan Heavy Construction Association

MLAs and caucus offices blast airwaves with year-end ad spending

If you’ve been driving around the province lately, especially in Regina and Saskatoon, you will have likely seen two things advertised: The Evan Bray Show and Saskatchewan politicians. On billboards and on social media, the government and opposition caucus offices and individual MLAs seem to be spending every last advertising dollar that’s allocated to them before the end of the fiscal year on March 31.

Billboards featuring various NDP MLAs alongside Carla Beck are up all around Regina, and the NDP’s caucus office spent nearly $3,000 the first week of March on Facebook ads promoting Ms. Beck. 

Meanwhile, the Saskatchewan Party caucus office has recently boosted two posts by Premier Moe focusing on last week’s education announcement.

Caucus and MLA advertising is different than political party advertising; budgets are funded by taxpayers and the annual amounts are decided by the multi-partisan Board of Internal Economy. MLA advertising comes out of their own constituency budget, which is capped at ~$73,000 for each constituency in 2023-24. This budget allows for advertising and other constituency services, like office support staff. While constituency and caucus advertising can use colours and branding similar to their respective parties, ads cannot include any promotion of the political parties themselves (i.e. NDP MLAs cannot have the party’s website, the Saskatchewan Party’s Facebook page, etc).

With the calendar turning, will be on the lookout in April for ad campaigns funded by the parties themselves as they start to get their messaging out in advance of the fall election.

Sponsored by Insurance Brokers Association of Saskatchewan

Province Unveils Saskatchewan Investment Attraction Strategy

Today, the Government of Saskatchewan released Securing the Next Decade of Growth: Saskatchewan's Investment Attraction Strategy, a plan to attract $16 billion in capital annually. The strategy has three pillars: Build, Grow, and Connect.

The program offers new incentives including a 25% tax credit to support commercialization projects for critical minerals and a 15% tax credit for new critical minerals processing investments. The government also unveiled a new website, showcasing the Saskatchewan Advantage so prospective businesses can see what Saskatchewan has to offer.

The expanded Saskatchewan Technology Start-up Incentive is a non-refundable 45% tax credit to individuals, corporations, and venture capital firms that invest in eligible technology startups. This program will see a doubling of its annual tax credit cap from $3.5 million to $7 million and expanded eligibility to include clean technology. 

(Saskatchewan Government News and Media)

Sponsored by Johnson Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy

More news and info

• Teachers withdrawing lunch-hour supervision Thursday in Regina and Saskatoon (CKOM News)

• Register now for the Saskatchewan Public Affairs Forum on April 9th in Regina, hosted by the Saskatchewan chapter of Public Affairs Association of Canada!*

• City of Regina to consider making e-scooters permanent (Regina Leader-Post)

• Former Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi announces bid for Alberta NDP leadership (CBC News)

_{*Sponsored content from Public Affairs Association of Canada - Saskatchewan Chapter.}

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