Saskatchewan Premier Lorne Calvert has taken up the challenge thrown down by Prime Minister Stephen Harper and has launched legal action against the Conservatives.

 

Prime Minister Stephen Harper has dared provinces to sue the federal government over promises on equalization and now Saskatchewan Premier Lorne Calvert is taking him up on that challenge.

Premier Calvert has announced that Saskatchewan intends to sue the federal government.

Calvert has maintained the federal government promised to take non-renewable resource revenue out of the formula used to calculate equalization payments. "But if I was to start suing this Conservative Government over all of their broken promises there's not enough lawyers in Saskatchewan... What we're looking at is provisions within the Constitution which determine that equalization is a Constitutionally mandated program."

Calvert argues Saskatchewan is not being treated fairly over its oil and gas revenues. He says the province should get all of that cash and not just half.

The federal Liberals are jumping on board and supporting the Saskatchewan NDP.

Former Liberal Leadership Candidate Gerard Kennedy says the Liberals feel it's time for Saskatchewan MP's to stand up for the province. "It’s too bad that they didn’t do it in terms of their vote. It doesn't look like there are going to be any real changes forth coming. People will have to look to the Liberal Party and others to make good on a future for Saskatchewan that will allow a reasonable access to those resource revenues as a way to build the kind of economy to keep people in the province..."

Kennedy stopped in Moose Jaw on his way to Regina for the Saskatchewan Liberal Leader's Dinner Wednesday. He's in charge of party renewal for Liberal Leader Stephane Dion.