The Saskatchewan government rigged the poll

I just returned from the Saskatchewan legislature where I was talking to media about the rigged poll at the province's web site advocating for a sweeter equalization deal (check previous post and SDA for background).

At first a NDP staffer told me the poll was "hacked." I initially considered this a plausible explanation but the longer I thought about it the more I realized that if some nefarious individual or organization was able to hack the government web site for such a ridiculous purpose we have a damn serious government security problem on our hands.

Then the Premier was scrummed by reporters and was immediately asked about Small Dead Animals and raise-a-flag-gate. He made some jokes about listening to "small dead people" and asked why anyone would pay any mind to an organization with such a name or read blogs "or whatever you call them."

He then went on to say that raiseaflag.ca was indeed tampered with. He says that all of a sudden a thousand mischief makers logged on to the site and voted no. They responded to this security breech by basically restoring the setting on the poll to what is was before the mischief-makers flocked to the site.

In other words, they rigged the poll.

I'm not going to jump into hyperbolic North Korea-style propaganda metaphors, but this has to be the most ridiculous move a government could make. Those thousand mischief makers who voted "no" were actual people. Perhaps they didn't appreciate the fact the government is spending tax dollars on a publicity campaign aimed at extracting more tax dollars from Ontario and Alberta. Perhaps some of those individuals see the equalization program as a provincial welfare trap that rewards basket-case economies and punishes growing economies. Perhaps this was their way of protesting against this manipulative campaign.

The Premier said he didn't have any faith in "unscientific online polls" but you can be sure that he would not hesitate to use the fictitious 90 per cent support level if challenged on the merits of the campaign. If, Premier Calvert, you have no faith in unscientific online polls you should stop using them as manipulative propaganda tools.