No partial privatization for Sask. Crown corps after Bill 40 repealed

Some organizations in Saskatchewan are breathing a sigh of relief as Bill 40 which would allow the province to sell up to 49 per cent of a Crown corporation without public consultation was repealed last week.

The bill faced staunch opposition from the NDP, as well as unions and the Saskatchewan Federation of Labour.

"While Bill 40 is finally dead we will continue our efforts to protect Crowns from all types of privatization, such as contracting out, piecemeal sell-offs, and any attempts to get rid of minor Crowns that don't fall under protection legislation," Larry Hubich, SFL president, said in a press release.

The provincial government passed Bill 40 in April 2017 where it was immediately denounced by the NDP as "a betrayal" by the government.

"Residents ofSaskatchewancan feel some relief at this stunning change of course," saidJoie Warnock, Unifor Western regional director, said in a press release.

Although there was ultimately no partial sale of SGI, there had been ongoing discussions about the possibility with at least 11 companies.

The government would not name the companies.

The bill came after the controversial March 2017 provincial budget which saw cuts across the board, and the scrapping of the Crown corporation Saskatchewan Transportation Company.