What? Politicians cooperating?

What's next? Cats and dogs living together? The Clippers winning an NBA title? My barren scalp sprouting a thick mop of hair after all these years? I feel the breath of the four horsemen on the back of my neck, folks.

Why? Because the Government of Saskatchewan has embraced a good idea put forth by their most dangerous political foe:

The Saskatchewan government announced Wednesday it will work with the Opposition to develop legislation to ensure job security for reservists who volunteer for duty or training, protection which is not currently offered in any province except Nova Scotia.

Brad Wall, the leader of the Opposition Saskatchewan Party, announced last week he would introduce private member's legislation concerning the issue, and now the government is officially getting behind the idea.

"We really support this issue. We think it's an important job that's done in our society and we're committed to ensuring that Canadian Forces reservists in Saskatchewan are afforded job security," Labour Minister David Forbes said Wednesday on the phone from a meeting of federal, provincial and territorial labour ministers in Fredericton, N.B.

Not only has this provincial government stepped up to the plate, they're encouraging other provinces to do the same:

Forbes said it may be possible for something to be done at a national level, so he plans to raise the issue at the labour ministers' meeting. Wall said he encouraged Forbes to do so, noting a newspaper in New Brunswick recently featured the story of a reservist who had lost his job with a Crown corporation in that province because he volunteered for duty.

"If it gets national attention and other provinces look at this as well ... that's very positive," Wall said.

Sometimes when you do the right thing, it doesn't end up mattering much who put the idea forward first.

In response to a suggestion that the Opposition "got the jump on" the government, Forbes conceded that would be a fair assumption. However, he said his party is not embarrassed by having not raised the issue first.

"This is the role of the Opposition -- to bring forward ideas," Forbes said. "I think the key thing is, if we focus on what's best for the reservists and job security, that's No. 1."

A pat on the back and a hearty 'well done' to both Brad Wall and David Forbes. It seems not every politician in this country has forgotten the underlying purpose of the system after all: to do right by their constituents.

Now, all we have to do is wait for the signatures to dry on the legislation, right? Right?...