Blog loses Wall backing over comments

James Wood, The StarPhoenix
Published: Wednesday, April 02, 2008
REGINA -- Premier Brad Wall distanced the Saskatchewan Party from a popular right-wing blog Tuesday over controversial comments posted about inner city Saskatoon.

Wall told reporters that the Saskatchewan Party would remove from its own website an endorsement of Wall from Saskatchewan-based Kate McMillan of smalldeadanimals.com.

Saskatchewan Party MLAs have referenced the website approvingly in the legislature in the past but Wall said that would likely not occur in the future.

Following the government's cancellation of $8 million in funding for the Station 20 West project in Saskatoon's core, McMillan posted on her blog suggesting "economic stimuli" for the area to get a private sector grocery store.

These included "put the cap back on the used needle . . . failing that, share it with your friends. It's a quicker solution to your problem anyway."

She also suggested "cross your legs" and "put down the spray can." McMillan later posted "try not vandalizing every business still standing in your neighbourhood, try not selling your ass up and down the street in front of the doors. Try parenting your sticky-fingered brats."

Wall said the comments were "beyond the pale."

"Those are intolerant and unacceptable remarks," he told reporters, adding that the government has a firm commitment to the province's core urban neighbourhoods despite its reservations about the Station 20 West project.

The comments -- and the Sask. Party's relationship to the blog -- was raised in a member's statement by the Opposition NDP Tuesday.

Saskatoon Massey Place MLA Cam Broten praised Wall for his actions.

"The comments were quite hurtful, quite ugly," he told reporters. "We recognize that people have a right to free speech but comments like that don't need to be given more credibility by having an association with the premier of the province."

McMillan, who is not a member of the Saskatchewan Party, said her comments were "hyperbolic" but she stood by them and believes many provincial residents share her opinions.

She said Wall's condemnation of her comments on Tuesday were "predictable" given "today's politically correct atmosphere."

It would have no impact on her blog, she said.

"I would have been more disappointed if they had gone ahead and built the project, seriously. I'm a private citizen, I don't expect them to endorse what I say or answer for what I say and I don't need them to flog my website," McMillan said in a telephone interview from her home in Delisle.

The Station 20 West facility was intended to centralize public services for poor residents by including a dental clinic, a relocated West Side Community Clinic and a co-op grocery store.

1: jwood@sp.canwest.com http://www.canada.com/saskatoonstarphoenix/news/local/story.html?id=5bb14f98-4602-41d5-8b8a-a467d9401ee5 Comments: 2:http://www.smalldeadanimals.com/archives/008365.html#comments 3. Comments from Dust My Broom: http://dustmybroom.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3169&Itemid=1#jc_writeComment