Province reconsidering Crown corporation privatization bill: premier

Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall says the provincial government is reconsidering its recently passed Bill 40, which would allow the province to sell up to 49 per cent of its Crown corporations without a public vote.

The bill depended on a technical definition of "privatization" which would mean corporations like SaskTel, Saskatchewan Government Insurance or SaskEnergy could still be considered public if the government owned only 51 per cent of them.

"MLAs were hearing since the spring sitting exactly what I was hearing, which were questions from people across the province — supporters of ours, some who are just not particularly decided voters and then some who are supporters of the other party — a concern about how we've defined privatization in Bill 40," said Wall on Wednesday.

"There's a considerable view out there that folks believe that any change in ownership, even if it's five per cent ownership in a Crown, constitutes a privatization."

Wall made the remarks after announcing a cabinet shuffle, saying the bill was a miscalculation by the government and it would be reconsidered in the fall. 

Asked if the bill would be axed, Wall said the government is considering a number of options.

"If Saskatchewan people who own these crown corporations feel that any change in ownership at all constitutes a privatization, we have to consider that."

Holding a province-wide referendum on potential changes to Crown corporations is another possibility Wall listed. 

The Opposition NDP has criticized the bill as "a betrayal" since it was passed in April.

The Saskatchewan Government and General Employees' Union also expressed concern about potential partial privatization, saying the Crown corporations have "served Saskatchewan people well" by keeping rates low and providing reliable service in rural and remote areas of the province.