Today we question a recent move by the current government which was conveniently left out of the budget speech last week.

Buried within departmental services when the government announced the most recent budget was an interesting move that seems to contradict their own basic ideologies--create a new Crown Corporation, or at least one with Treasury Board status. Of all the areas to go after, they choose tourism.

Tourism Saskatchewan has been operating as a separate entity from the provincial government for nearly two decades-which according to president and CEO LInda Haverstock, is the optimal way for a tourism authority to do business.

During the Saskatchewan Party's first term, they established Enterprise Saskatchewan, and reecently, the Physician Recruitment Agency of Saskatchewan, both of which are Crowns.

As reported by Angela Hall, Haverstock explained that the experience in British Columbia of tying the tourism authority into the scope of e government did not go well. Increased restrictions, problems with timing of elections, and issues with funding can all result when the tourism agency is not a designated separate entity from direct government intervention.

Only time will tell what the government's true motivation is but the initial perception points directly toward the desire to control tourism messaging as Finance Minister Ken Krawetz stated, "there will be greater influence by government."