Lingenfelter better watch out....

[mustardman]

After listening to Brad Walls speech on potash corp I think lingenfelter better watch out or Brad will be the NEW leader of the NDP. Poor Grant Devine whose motto "we're open for business" must be wondering what happened to "hands off free enterprise"

Brad sounded like potash was so mom and apple pie to him that his next step is probably to make it a crown corp. lol

[Kodiak]

I had the same thought. I'm wondering if Brad Wall doesn't see the hypocrisy he is spouting. It's OK for Viterra to buy Australia's largest ag companies, but not OK for BHP to buy a Potash -a Chicago run multinational that happens to have mines here in SK? Oh well, Canada's hypocrisy with respect to business is well known in international circles. Think WTO.

[oldjim]

If you are Sask residents perhaps you should give your heads a shake. Suppose Wall had followed your line: Lingenfelter and the commies would blow him out of office next November and you could put the "Closed" signs back up on the borders for the next 20 years. Wall had to walk a tightrope today and he did it very well. Besides, he doesn't really have any say - that's up to the feds and Harper has proven he's deaf when it comes to listening to his Sask MP's. I heard today one of the people Wall consulted was Lougheed, who, despite the Klein lovers opinions, set the stage for the prosperity Alberta has enjoyed for the last 35 years. Can't think of anyone better to seek advice from.

[mustardman]

I do think that the hostile takeover would have had negative effects for us down the road.
And I agree with Steven Jarasloski (manages a fund co.) who said that there is nothing wrong with manufacturing companies being taken over and having head offices elsewhere BUT oil,potash and other non renewables should keep head offices here and takeover from companys or countrys from outside should not be allowed to happen. Seems the only companies that the feds watch out for are the utilities and the Banks.

[mustardman]

Oldjim I have to agree with you on one thing that Lougheed was a Very smart negotiator when it came to looking after his provinces interest.
With Klein the interests of the oil company came first and the province last.

[jensend]

on the radio devine agreed with wall and on bnn today dick haskayne, who had a long and successful career in the oilpatch (and endowed the haskayne school of business at u of calgary), did too. i was especially surprised by haskayne but he essentially said the promises by bhp meant nothing.

[Kodiak]

Ok, so remind me. Who owns POT now, and where are the big decisions made? What percentage of shares are owned by Saskatchewanians, and when did the earthquake happen that moved Chicago here?

[oldjim]

Kodiak, it's well known majority of shares are owned out of country and of course Chicago is the de facto head office - that's not the issue (except for old diehard CCF'ers, some of whom think Potash Corp is still a crown corporation). Listen to what Wall is saying: promises made in other big takeovers evaporated over time; tax implications involved in the takeover itself and the Jansen mine construction in particular, could cost the government billions in lost revenue. Of course there are offsetting benefits from new construction, etc. but not enough to mitigate the losses. In addition BHP has stated it won't be a part of Canpotex (the potash industry's version of the CWB, only it works) which many fear will mean ramping up production, reducing prices and reducing royalities the government receives. Will this in fact happen - who knows? That's like forecasting the weather 10 days from now, but that's the fear.

Add to this the politics of Saskatchewan, I'd say Wall did very well. And as stated earlier, he really doesn't have the final say, the feds do. No matter what they decide Wall will either be able to say he influenced the feds to make the correct decision or that the feds crapped on Saskatchewan. He comes out the winner and the NDP have nothing.

[riders2010]

Who really knows whether or not it would be worse or better? They are not Saskatchewan companies so big deal where it is owned. Lingenfelter was right get it in writing to keep the head office jobs here who cares about the rest since we don't own it.

That was the biggest joke of the day though to here a politician talk about being worried about someone breaking a promise. Since they are such experts at it who would know better. How about the let's fix crop insurance, and cost of production, and get rid of Agristability, and spot loss hail, lower land taxes, yehh yehh they are experts alright.

[riders2010]

just saw the highlights of the speach, quite the theatrical spectacle, your right mustardman, that's gotta be turning the gut just a little for some to see that speech happenning. but as I said who knows maybe he's right, ahhhh but yes nice to see he listenned to Goodale's advice, ha ha just turning that stomach a little more.

But what does happen politically if the cons okey the deal? Funny none of the cons MPs had anything to say or are they muzzled about this issue also?

[SASKFARMER3]

Wall had to walk a tightrope on this file. I personally dont believe a word BHP is dishing out about Jansen. They will not build it if they have the others. Come on would you build a new yard side when you have one.
Lingenfelter is a idiot plain and simple, as long as the NDP have him as a leader Wall will be fine. They made a huge mistake when they brought him home.

[jensend]

harper is in a tight spot. he needs the sask mp's but saying no goes against his grain. my bet is he okays the deal and within about six or eight years he's on bhp board of directors.

[riders2010]

never thought of that jensend but could be right, we've seen that before.

It just kinda funny that when it comes to the government not getting it's money seems to me idiology has just gone out the window but when it comes to money for other things boy that idiology rules.

[cottonpicken]

Hmmmm so how many votes did wall lose?and how much ammo did the opposition get?and seeing as how its a federal thing. Well played mr wall

[mustardman]

The way Brad sounded it could have been lingenfelter speaking so he will probably get a lot of ndp voters as well. Yea Mr. Wall is all things to all people. He is on the right in the centre and on the left.