The Sask. Party remains the preferred political party on top issues among Saskatchewan voters, but it is seeing its lowest approval rating in four years.

That’s according to an Angus Reid poll, which surveyed 504 Saskatchewan residents on how they felt about the leaders of the province’s political parties and how the parties rank on top issues.

The poll said 62 per cent of respondents felt the Sask. Party government wasn’t handling cost-of-living issues well. The same percentage felt education was also being mishandled, and the government did not score strongly on health care.

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STF calls province’s education budget announcement ‘latest unprecedented stunt’

The NDP, however, did not fare any better. The pollsters found that those surveyed thought NDP would do a better job on education, but most still favoured the Sask. Party on issues such as the cost of living, health care, and the economy.

Sask. Party leader Scott Moe, meanwhile, holds a higher approval rating than NDP leader Carla Beck, with 53 per cent of those surveyed holding a positive view of the premier compared to 35 per cent who favour Beck. One in five respondents said they had yet to form an opinion about Beck.

The poll also found that the Sask. Party holds a 31-point advantage over the NDP outside of Saskatoon and Regina, but that the NDP leads in both cities (by eight points in Regina and 12 in Saskatoon).

Meanwhile, half of respondents told pollsters it was time for a change in Saskatchewan’s provincial government.

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Sask. Party MLA Greg Lawrence charged with assault, resigns

Respondents also chose the cost of living, health care and education when asked to identify three top priorities from a list of 15. Topics such as the opioid crisis, First Nations issues and emergency management brought up the rear out of the available options.

Daniel Westlake, assistant professor of political studies at the University of Saskatchewan, warned that the poll’s findings should be treated carefully, saying there’s a margin of error to take into account.

The main story of this poll, he continued, is the Sask. Party’s consistent lead over the NDP, noting that a topic like health care should be a bread-and-butter issue for the NDP, but the Sask. Party has a lead on them. “I don’t really know there’s much here for the NDP to be celebrating or looking for an avenue to be successful,” he said.

Westlake also said that anyone looking for an NDP breakthrough would need to see weaker results for the Sask. Party and stronger results for the NDP. He added that education, especially in the light of the current teacher job action, is one area where the NDP might find an opportunity to improve its position.

Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre has shot back at B.C. Premier David Eby’s comment that his plea to halt a federal carbon price increase is a “baloney factory” campaign tactic.

Poilievre told The Roy Green Show on Saturday that Eby’s “constituents can’t even afford to buy baloney after eight years of him, and the NDP and Liberal coalition.” 

“He should talk to his own citizens in British Columbia who can’t afford to eat, heat and house themselves and join with the seven other premiers who have called on Trudeau to spike this April 1st tax hike,” he said.

In a letter sent Friday, Polievre asked Eby to join seven other premiers in opposing the increase, saying the 23 per cent rise amounts to an extra 18 cents on a litre of fuel, and people in B.C. and Canadians can’t afford it.

Poilievre’s letter said the carbon pricing system set up by Trudeau is an imposition on the provinces that requires them to accept an ever-increasing levy.

But Eby, speaking at an unrelated news conference in Terrace on Friday, said B.C. residents would end up with less money returned to them if the government accepted Poilievre’s “campaign office and baloney factory” request.

“I don’t live in the Pierre Poilievre campaign office and baloney factory,” Eby said. “I live in B.C., am the premier, and decisions have consequences. The fact we face is that if we followed Mr. Poilievre’s suggestion there would be less money returned to British Columbians after April 1 than there would be if the federal government administered this increase directly.”

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Political science professor on carbon pricing pushback

Poilievre reiterated Saturday that the April 1 tax is “absolutely insane.”

“Housing costs have doubled. The carbon tax is quadrupling. Inflation is at its worst in 40 years. That’s (Eby’s) and Justin Trudeau’s record,” he said.

B.C. introduced North America’s first broad-based price on carbon in 2008, and will administer the coming increase on behalf of the federal government.

Poilievre’s letter said people in B.C. and across Canada are in need of relief and not tax increases.

“It makes no difference to the hard-working people of B.C. who administers the tax, they still pay it,” Poilievre said in his letter.

The carbon price is set to rise to $80 per tonne, up from $65 per tonne. The minimum levy will more than double by the end of the current annual increase schedule, hitting $170 per tonne by 2030.

The premiers that have asked the federal government to drop the April 1 increase are Alberta, Saskatchewan, Ontario, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labrador.

Jesse Bartsoff, spokesperson for Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland’s office, defended the carbon pricing plan earlier this month as the “most cost-effective way” to protect communities from impacts like Atlantic hurricanes to wildfires.

In February, Ottawa rebranded its carbon pricing rebate program in an effort to make it more clear what the rebate is for when it gets deposited to Canadians’ bank accounts.

The government said at the time that about 80 per cent of Canadians are getting more from the rebates than they pay in carbon pricing.

–with files from Global News’ Sean Previl and The Canadian Press

Farmers in Lac. Ste. Anne County are voicing their frustrations over a new proposed land tax brought forward by the region’s council.

The county council says with rising costs they need more cash to maintain infrastructure such as roads and bridges, but farmers say it’s not their problem to solve.

The proposed tax would have farmers with five or more quarters of land pay around $2,500 to the county.

A quarter is equivalent to 160 acres.

Brad Javorsky farms north of Onoway, Atla. Following last year’s losses around a tough growing season, he fears this proposal would hurt his operations further.

“Financially, it would affect our farm a great deal,” Javorsky said. “We’re talking thousands of dollars.”

Javorksy owns nine quarters and rents another five quarters of land. He believes if this proposed plan ever passes, it will open a pathway to implement changes or add more measures that will impact farmers’ bottom line.

“There is nothing in that bylaw that says they couldn’t add that to every quarter section,” he explained.

“It could lead in the future to even being applied to rented land as well,” he added.

Jurgen Preugschas farms south of Meyerthorpe, Alta. He’s frustrated that the county is going after producers.

“They’re trying to find ways to raise money. They’re throwing the big net out and trying to find a place to raise all those funds,” Preguschas expressed. “I just don’t believe the county is managed in a prudent fashion.”

County reeve Joe Blakeman said farmers with three or more acres receive a cut in residential taxes on their home. He said thought it was fair for farmers to pay up.

“The farms are getting bigger. They’re not getting smaller. When the farms get bigger, they get a bigger break. We don’t want them to be punished but everybody’s got to pay fair and equitably,” Blakeman said. “Production is getting bigger. Equipment is getting bigger. Roads are taking a beating and we need to find some way to help maintain those roads,” he added.

Javorsky said blaming farming machinery for run-down bridges isn’t fair because they’re not using them.

“A lot of the existing bridges in this county, we can’t use. Our equipment is too wide to get across them. We actually take two three times more road to get to a quarter to a field,” Javorsky explained.

Blakeman said while they were discussing plans for farmers to contribute, a flat rate hike was never the plan and the county made an error.

“It was a lot of variables into it. It wasn’t just a flat 2,000. It never should have been advertised like that. It was a bad mistake on administration, city council for even having that hit the agenda,” he said.

The Reeve is calling on the Alberta government to step in. He says the county has been maintaining bridges once looked after by the province.

A spokesperson from the Ministry of Municipal Affairs said they were unaware of the proposed tax but said municipal governments have the power to levy such a tax.

“We encourage them to find a solution that works best for everyone,” the statement read.

Javorsky thinks this is an issue producers across Alberta should keep a close eye on.

“What goes on in one county will surely come in the next in the future. It’s precdent setting,” he said.

More than a hundred mourners offered tearful prayers and calls for solidarity and compassion on Sunday at the funeral for a Sri Lankan family slain in one of the worst mass killing’s in Ottawa’s history.

Dozens gathered at the Infinity Convention Centre for a multi-faith service to remember the six people, including four children, who were found dead on March 6 inside a townhouse in Ottawa’s south-end Barrhaven suburb.

Ajahn Viradhammo, a monk who spoke at the funeral, asked those grieving around the world to focus on supporting each other instead of leaning into despair or anger.

“We in the Ottawa area are in the eye of this storm, but we recognize that its impact is felt all over the world,” he said.

“It is in these dark moments that we must derive strength from compassion and wisdom that lie at the heart of faith. We come together bound by our shared humanity and our unwavering commitment to compassion.”

The victims included 35-year-old Darshani Ekanayake and her four children, who ranged in age from two months to seven years old, as well as a family friend.

Her husband and the kids’ father, Dhanushka Wickramasinghe, was taken to hospital with injuries to his hands and face.

Wickramasinghe was seen crying at the ceremony, his hands clasped in prayer with one finger bandaged. He was surrounded by family members, including a man sobbing into a handkerchief.

Funeral organizers said on Friday that he has requested privacy to mourn the loss of his family, but is thankful for the outpouring of public support since his relatives died.

Five coffins sat at the front of the room, including three smaller white ones and two larger wooden caskets, one of which had framed photos of both Ekanayake and her baby.

The ceremony included audio recordings from the wife and daughter of Gamini Amarakoon Amarakoon Mudiyanselage, a family friend who was also killed. His loved ones in Sri Lanka were unable to travel to Canada for the suneral.

The service included a Buddhist ritual as well as reflections from preachers from various religions, who prayed for surviving relatives to have strength.

Dignitaries from multiple levels of government urged unity in comments during and after the funeral.

“We have to continue to put our arms around these two families,” Ottawa Mayor Mark Sutcliffe told reporters. “They will have so many difficult days ahead of them and so many challenges.”

The Wickramasinghe family members were Sri Lankan newcomers to Canada, and the youngest was born in this country.

Police arrested a 19-year-old Sri Lankan man on the evening of the attack and charged him with six counts of first-degree murder and one count of attempted murder.

Police said Febrio De-Zoysa was an international student who had been living with the family at the time of their deaths.

De-Zoysa’s lawyer, Ewan Lyttle, said his client is being held in protective custody and his family is “obviously very upset” about the allegations.

Saskatoon philanthropist Les Dubé passed away on Wednesday at the age of 91, and while many residents in Saskatchewan may recognize the work he has done in the community, his son shared what he was like as a father.

“He was my mentor, he was my dad and he was my friend,” L. David Dubé said.

David described a man who held a lot of compassion, but who also had high standards.

Les and his wife, Irene, supported more than 100 charities in Saskatchewan, including a $10-million donation to support the University of Saskatchewan Health Sciences project.

“He would always give you little tidbits in your life that were not related to that moment, they were kind of bigger picture.”

He said his father was kind and supportive, adding that he always strived for peace.

“He really wanted peace in the family, peace in his community, and he wanted us to live our best lives.”

David spoke about some of his favorite personal memories of his father, pointing to all the times they went fishing.

“He loved to fish. He loved to golf, and I love golfing.”

David said they were also business partners, and when it came to business they weren’t father and son; they were peers.

“My fondest memories were always the quiet times.”

David said his father’s mission in life was philanthropy, and being a successful businessman is what allowed him to give back.

He said Saskatoon has lost a great leader and suggested that people step up now that he is gone.

“I know I have to do more because the needs aren’t going away. My mom and dad knew that they weren’t going to end poverty, they weren’t going to end suffering. But if they could do what they could to minimize it, it would make the world a little better.”

David said Saskatoon has problems and those problems are growing.

“We all need to bind together. (Les) was a big believer that no one person could do very much, you have to do it as part of a community. He just adored the volunteers in this community who make it such a great place.”