SOWING THE SEEDS

Framing the Issues to Regenerate Social

Democracy in Saskatchewan

The Challenges for the Party and the Leader

“This short paper is not a manifesto, but a document to start conversations.

The issues presented below are as a result framed as questions, not
answers. We want the leadership campaign specifically, and the political
culture more generally to be about real ideas, real choices, and serious
exchanges. If it is not, the outcome of either the leadership campaign or the
next election(s) will be less significant than we would hope.”

Policy Framework Working Group

Leadership and Policy Collective
January, 2009
Sowing the Seeds

Framing the Issues to Regenerate Social Democracy in Saskatchewan

The Challenges for the Party and the Leader

Social Democracy: Rebuilding an Idea

This should be a social democratic moment. The follies of neoconservatism, the
possible end of American economic dominance, climatic and military threats to the
planet, and the consequences of narrow, short-term thinking are increasingly clear. A
new generation of engaged, environmentally-oriented citizens is emerging. Compared
to previous generations, the coming-of-age citizens are less likely to affiliate
permanently to a particular party; their allegiances and votes are more contingent.
The political terrain is up for grabs, especially if the three-decade-long romance with
neoconservatism is at an end.
While there is a political-philosophical void waiting to be filled, there is no certainty
about who will fill it and with what credo. There is no clear, distinct, and
contemporary made-in-Canada social democratic vision. There are constellations of
left-of-center policies and good critiques of the dominant political and economic
culture, but social democrats have failed to fire the imagination of the great majority of
Canadians. How is social democracy different from “liberalism in a hurry”? What is
the social democratic view of fiscal prudence, taxation, individual and collective
initiative and ingenuity? What does social democracy value about the market
economy and what would it change? In Canada social democracy has little status as a
serious philosophy; indeed, serious philosophy has little place in our political
discourse. (This is yet another triumph of neoconservatism: deep cynicism about
ideas.)
Hence the challenge is to define social democracy, distinguish it from liberalism,
explain how it works, demonstrate its practicality, and translate it into a credible and
inspiring provincial platform that among other things acknowledges the realities of the
national and international context.
This paper is based on 3 core ideas. First, social democracy matters – indeed we think
the future of the planet depends on its succeeding market conservatism as the
dominant political philosophy in the coming decades. Second, Saskatchewan is an
ideal place for articulating an updated and inspiring concept of social democracy,
especially now, in the context of a leadership campaign and in opposition. Third, if we
succeed in creating a compelling fusion of philosophy, principles and platform, the
NDP could regenerate itself. We are only 10 seats short of forming government. The
coming years will be more difficult for the government than its gilded honeymoon
phase.
This short paper is not a manifesto, but a document to start conversations. The
issues presented below are as a result framed as questions, not answers. We want the
leadership campaign specifically, and the political culture more generally to be about
real ideas, real choices, and serious exchanges. If it is not, the outcome of either the
leadership campaign or the next election(s) will be less significant than we would hope.

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We believe there is a hunger for a party and a movement with which to engage, but it
must be contemporary and forward-looking. If we build that vision and a hospitable
place for taking ideas and politics seriously, we believe that they – former and current
party members, younger people seeking to express their citizenship and sense of
community, and that large group of people whose votes are up for grabs – will come.

The Saskatchewan Context

Saskatchewan used to play a major role in the Canadian political arena. From the
Regina Manifesto to the New Deal for People to constitutional debates, we punched far
above our weight. We can do so again. Moreover, nature has endowed the province
with the resources and choices that are in many ways a microcosm of the issues
facing the world. We have food, fertilizer, and fossil fuels in abundance. For better or
for worse we have a quarter of the world’s uranium. We have gone through the
mechanization of agriculture and the corporatization of food production, resulting in
vast expanses of land and hundreds of rural communities struggling to survive. We
are a trading province, so our destiny is linked to the globe.
We are lucky to face the challenges we do – our endowments unleash limitless
possibilities for a population of a million. We have the might and the potential to
experiment and our scale makes innovation easier to pursue. We have a strong
institutional framework. We have a great deal of social capital and a cooperative
tradition. We are wired and connected.
We are also demographically unique, both by composition and by age. Saskatchewan
has a growing and youthful First Nations and Metis population and a relatively high
proportion of senior citizens. We are also increasingly seen as a desirable destination
for new immigrants. While First Nations and Metis people are taking an increasingly
central role in the economic and cultural life of the province, many remain gripped by
poverty and disenfranchisement. The future health of Saskatchewan hinges on
establishing the terms and conditions for a meaningful partnership among all of our
communities.
We have cities but no metropolis; while this is in some ways a disadvantage in that
large cities sustain their own economic and cultural growth, it is also an advantage in
terms of community and the potential to build a more sustainable future. As the
world revisits issues such as food security and land stewardship, we are an excellent
test bed for redefining and renewing the rural economy.
Finally we are a land of sun and wind, two tantalizing arrows in the quiver of
renewable energy. Hence we have a combination of conventional and emerging
resources, and a choice between unreflective, traditional exploitation of natural
resources and investing in a more balanced, sustainable, and visionary set of
approaches. None of these choices is easy in a world of explosive change, political
instability, and rapidly evolving science. But we are admirably positioned to reclaim
our place at the center of important discussions and debates, and to lead by example.

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Basic Principles
1. How do we define the role of government in a world that has grown cynical
about the role of government? In its best form, government represents the
collective aspirations of citizens, and its programs embody the public interest.
We have seen the consequences of too little government and too much
government in the last 100 years. What’s the right balance and how do we
know when it is achieved?
2. What is the social democratic expression of a caring and compassionate society,
in both economic and social terms?
3. What is the social democratic definition of social justice? What is the balance
between equalizing opportunity and equalizing circumstance? How can we
reduce social and economic disparities while increasing well-being for all?
4. When should government be the prime agent of intervention, when should it be
the institution of last resort, and when should it stand down? In what
circumstances, and on what basis should it be a legislator, regulator, investor,
owner, contractor, deliverer of services, bystander?
5. How does social democracy conceive of the economy, well-being, and measures
of human progress? What is the alternative to the GDP? Can we develop a
genuine progress indicator (GPI) for Saskatchewan?
6. How can government be more service-oriented, accountable, transparent, and
creative? How should it measure and report on performance? How should the
public service be structured and how can the province again become a magnet
for the best talent from within and beyond our borders?
7. What should be the province’s aspirations on the broader national and
international stage? What should be our strategy for seeking partnerships and
contributing to forums in an increasingly interconnected world?

Examples of Issues to be Addressed

A. Governance and Citizenship
1. How do we make the idea of government more appealing and inclusive?
How do we overcome the cynicism and indifference that characterize the
current political landscape?
2. How can government be less partisan, more inclusive, open-minded, and
reflective? How can long-range thinking be reconciled with short-term
political imperatives and the realities of electioneering?
3. How do we open governance and government to more talent, and make
public service more appealing? How does government tap the expertise and
wisdom of citizens and community leaders more effectively?
4. How do citizens become more engaged in government and civil society? How
do we support community development in ways that build effective social
participation?
5. How do we improve relations among and within First Nations, Métis and
non-Aboriginal communities to strengthen our civil society? What model of

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 partnership will be equitable and effective? How can we improve governance
and Treaty relationships with these goals in mind?
B. Building an Economically Coherent Platform
1. Where should revenues come from and in what proportions (personal and
corporate taxation, sales tax, royalties, dividends from investments, state-
owned enterprises)?
2. What criteria should be used to allocate the budget among investments,
services, infrastructure (human and physical), health, etc.?
3. Where does the province have the latitude to chart its own course and
where are its options constrained by external realities?
4. What is the future of the cooperative economy and community economic
development? How do we create common ground among labour and
capital?
C. Food Production, Food Security, Rural Development
1. What principles should guide food production, land use policy,
environmentally sustainable practices, etc.? What investments need to be
made to build models, incorporate scientific knowledge, and promote
innovation? How should the province situate itself in international
discussions of food policy?
2. Is it desirable and feasible to develop a rural-oriented immigration program
that would attract more people to rural areas, support innovation in
agricultural production, and enhance environmental sustainability?
3. Should the municipal structure be revisited, and if so, how?
D. The Livable City
1. What is the vision for Saskatchewan cities – density, transportation,
institutional, environmental, educational, economic?
2. What fiscal and taxation approach is most likely to generate creative
innovation in urban development?
3. What critical investments are needed to sustain community-building public
spaces and green development?
4. How do we design cities to promote health, activity, safety, and economic
growth?
E. Building a Smarter Saskatchewan
1. What should be the general and specific aspirations of our universities?
What strategic investments should be made to ensure the province has top-
flight thinkers and researchers in crucially important areas? To what
extent should the intellectual strategy be tied to specific spheres (e.g.,
resources, alternative energy, governance)?
2. What specific investments should be made to increase capacity in areas
such as a sustainable economy, energy research and policy, food
production and security, and rural economic development?

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 3. How should post-secondary education be funded? What is the best
combination of public and private financing?
4. How do we design and support educational programs that improve the
educational success and employability of Aboriginal youth?
5. How do we radically expand our early childhood development and childcare
programs to provide the next generation with optimal intellectual and
health foundations?
6. How do support continuing and life long education among the population?
Can we build on our already advanced internet infrastructure to foster an
educated and engaged citizenry?
F. Health
1. What does “Medicare 2” look like? How does it differ from the status quo?
2. How can the province become a leader in health innovation that focuses on
creative approaches to improving public health, delivering better and more
efficient health care, education health practitioners rooted in population
health and systems thinking, etc., with a particular mandate to pursue
aboriginal and rural health?
3. How should we overhaul incentive and funding systems to encourage health
care practitioners and organizations to pursue efficiencies, improve quality,
and achieve goals?
4. How should the province implement health information technology? How
can the system be more user-friendly?
G. Justice
1. How do we increase social justice in our society, promoting a sense of
fairness and inclusiveness, and reducing inequities in social participation
by gender, race and economic position?
2. How can our justice institutions be more open and accountable in serving
all citizens, embracing more restorative forms of justice and promoting a
sense of security for the general community?
H. Energy – Between Past and Future
1. How do we develop the principles for determining whether and how to
exploit our energy-based natural resources? What criteria should guide
decision-making?
2. How do we ensure that our decisions are made on the best available
scientific, economic, and environmental evidence?
3. How do we assess the comparative risks and benefits of exploiting the major
sources of energy the province has in abundance (oil, gas, uranium)?
4. What taxation and fiscal policies most effectively encourage energy
conservation and efficiencies by individuals, commercial enterprises, and
communities?
5. How do we become a world leader in alternative energy research and
experimentation?

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I. The Workforce of Tomorrow
1. What mechanisms should be established to create policies and practices
that make Saskatchewan a model place to work?
2. What employment policies do we put in place to ensure effective, equitable
and fulfilling participation in the labour force, in particular by young men
and women, and in particular by the Aboriginal population?
3. How can we restore and enhance the rights of workers in their capacity to
organize and bargain collectively?
4. How can we balance the needs of work, family and community?
5. What can be done to create positive alternatives to adversarial labour
relations and the entrenchment of an us-them mentality?
6. What is the social democratic concept of effective entrepreneurship and
socially responsible economic development?
7. Can the expansion of Crown corporations be a vehicle to achieve these
goals?
J. Saskatchewan and the World
1. How do we build a sense of internationalism and openness to ideas, and
avoid parochialism and narrowness in our thinking given our remoteness
and small population size?
2. How should we leverage opportunities and partnerships for intellectual,
cultural, and economic development (e.g., relationships with granting
agencies, cost-sharing, exchanges)?
3. How do we maximize the province’s share of cost-shared national programs
such as the Canadian Foundation for Innovation, the Tri-Council agencies
(SSHRC, CIHR, NSERC), Canada Health Infoway, etc.?
4. Which national and international forums and institutions should we
become part of in the search for a social democratic future?
K. Reviving Cooperative Federalism
1. What is the Saskatchewan view of Canada? What does a social democratic
vision of federalism look like?
2. How do we reassert the leadership role of the province on the national
stage? How do we create allies in the cause of building a more unified and
cooperative country?
3. What is the most just tax regime for Canada, and the fairest division of
taxation powers between the federal and provincial governments?
4. Where should we promote federal government leadership, interprovincial
cooperation, and federal-provincial co-management of programs?

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