Former premier of Saskatchewan Brad Wall is set to give his first public speech since leaving office to a Calgary audience on March 23. The 14th premier of Saskatchewan, now 52, will discuss Canada’s place in the world, the impact inter-provincial relations can have on the larger economy, and what the energy industry will look like in the future. His speech will be followed by a conversation with W. Brett Wilson.
“Mr. Wall’s over 10-year tenure as premier was a great period in Saskatchewan’s history,” says Andy McCreath of tinePublic Inc., the Calgary company organizing the speech. “He achieved much and was a consistent, strong voice for the province and the region. We were thrilled to be able to bring him to Calgary for his first public speech since retiring.”
Originally voted into the premier’s office as the leader of the Saskatchewan Party in November 2007, Wall was the fourth centre-right premier in the province’s 82-year history. Wildly popular, he went on to win again in the 2011 provincial election – with the third-largest majority government in Saskatchewan’s history – and in the 2016 election, with 62.36 per cent of the popular vote.
He was leader of the Saskatchewan Party for 14 years and served as the MLA for Swift Current, where he has resided since 1999. As premier, he accomplished much, including balanced budgets for the first seven years of his tenure, the second-best debt-to-GDP ratio of all the provinces, and an AAA-credit rating. Saskatchewan’s population grew by approximately 160,000 people and 60,000 new jobs were created under his watch. On August 10, 2017, he announced his plans to retire, citing a need for renewal of his party, the government and the province.
“Mr. Wall’s speech will be especially relevant given the state of Alberta’s economy and inter-provincial relations,” says Christian Darbyshire, also of tinePublic. “And his conversation with Brett Wilson is sure to touch on many current topics.”
TinePublic has brought many notable names to Calgary and other Canadian cities, including former U.S. presidents George W. Bush and Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton, Tony Blair, Colin Powell and Oprah.
The luncheon event will take place at the Calgary TELUS Convention Centre on March 23 beginning at 11:30. Tickets are available at the Calgary Chamber of Commerce website at calgarychamber.com.
