Scott Moe’s Government: A Legacy of Incompetence and the Erosion of Saskatchewan’s Public Service

From Grant Devine’s toxic precedent to a Cabinet staffed by inexperienced loyalists, Saskatchewan’s public services are crumbling under Scott Moe.

There’s some things in life I just would not be able to do. Near the top is working for Scott Moe or his government.

I’m sure the feeling is mutual.

The questions I would have on a daily basis, my god.

I’d laugh in his face at the answers.

My brain would probably explode.

Because in my mind, the public service (or “civil service”) is a sacred institution made up of high-quality, skilled and experienced individuals who have dedicated their careers to the smooth, productive and forward-moving delivery of our province’s critical public services.

Don’t take my word for it.

In what I consider to be one of the most profound and damning passages in her book, Minding the Public Purse, former NDP Finance Minister Janice MacKinnon explains why the total destruction of the public service conducted by Sask Party-forefather Grant Devine was so toxic for the entire province.

Minding the Public Purse, Janice MacKinnon, pg 41.

“Politicians… are the board of directors of the government whose job it is to set overall policy, while it is up to the civil servants to implement these policies and advise the government, based on their years of experience.”

- Former NDP Finance Minister Janice MacKinnon

“… based on their years of experience.”

Now let’s be clear that the entire Saskatchewan civil service is not the problem.

There are clearly thousands of hardworking (but likely downtrodden) public servants carrying the fumbled, crumbled wreckage of Scott Moe’s incompetent and corrupt Government of Saskatchewan (GOS) around on their backs.

I am also comfortable suggesting, however, that their bosses at the top of the GOS form a crust of blindly-partisan (if not tribal), inexperienced taxpayer-funded Sask Party nepo babies who are exacerbating the demise of Saskatchewan’s public services in everything from health care to education - and without a shadow of a doubt, our finances.

An analysis of a cross-section of publicly available profiles of who is making decisions in Scott Moe’s government - namely his Chiefs of Staff - proves my theory.

There are eighteen Cabinet Ministries in Saskatchewan, plus the Minister responsible for the Crown Corporations and Scott Moe’s office, which is dubbed “Executive Council”.

Each one of those Ministers - a few of which oversee more than one Ministry - as well as the Premier have their own Chief of Staff, for a total of fourteen. It’s a well-paid role with the average salary averaging 120K of your tax dollars per year, which is what most of them are making in Saskatchewan, up to about $200,000 per year.

The title of “Chief of Staff” was created by Dwight Eisenhower to impart the gravity of the role.

Bradley Patterson, presidential scholar and White House staffer under Eisenhower, Nixon, and Ford, said,

"Presidents expect chiefs of staff to express their own views while not shutting out or distorting others’ perspectives."

“…their own views”.

Sure, there’s a political component to the role.

Yet, surely those providing their views to someone as important as a Cabinet Minister or Premier also possess a wealth of personal experience and knowledge to inform that view and justify their six-figure salaries?

Right, Saskatchewan?

RIGHT?

Lol. You already know where this is going, but what follows is everything you need to know to answer that question for yourself.

I don’t even provide much commentary, because the facts speak volumes.

So without further ado, meet your 2025 Chiefs of Staff in Scott Moe’s clown Cabinet. I haven’t added names, but didn’t bother trying to hide them either, because these are supposed to be high-level public servants. These (spoiler alert!) young men have access to information on this province and its residents to which you could only dream of being privy.

The reason their names, positions, contact details and salaries are public is because it’s in your best interests to understand the level of competency behind the people making the incredibly important decisions about your life.

Trust me, I went easy on them.

But make no mistake, what follows isn’t leadership—it’s a reckless gamble with public trust.

Want bonus points? Count the white Oakleys.