Federal Government: Saskatchewan

Federal Government Dept: Mr. Wall s comments came as part of a lengthening spat with the federal government over immigration policy, one that has seen Saskatchewan increasingly at odds with Ottawa, according to Globe and Mail. With his chemotherapy stand, Mr. Wall sent out a loud message that you don t have to be a jerk to be a conservative. You can be compassionate, said Murray Mandryk, a long-time Saskatchewan journalist who is now a columnist with the Regina Leader-Post and this is the kind of country we are. You cover it, Mr. Wall explained to reporters last week after his government opted to provide treatment to a man seeking refugee status from religious persecution in Pakistan. The man had been denied coverage by the federal government, which under new rules unveiled this spring, substantially trimmed drug, dental and vision coverage for refugee claimants. But the immigration debate comes amid broader shifts in Saskatchewan, where a right-leaning Premier in a province long governed by the NDP has maintained significant public support, even as other conservative groups the Republicans in the U.S., the opposition Wildrose Party in Alberta, as just two examples are engaged in soul-searching after high-profile losses. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.