MLAs Column Warren Michelson Standing up for Saskatchewan
Standing up for Saskatchewan is the commitment made in the Throne Speech to open the Fall Sitting of the Legislature. Last Wednesday, Lieutenant Governor W. Thomas Molloy delivered the speech which referenced both growth and challenges in our province. I was pleased that several Moose Jaw North constituents were able to attend the ceremony.
Our economy and our provincial finances are showing signs of improvement. However, many challenges remain, coming from international jurisdictions, and even from our own federal government. The Saskatchewan Party government will continue to meet these challenges by working to protect and grow our economy, and by carefully managing taxpayers’ dollars while delivering important programs and services needed by the people of our province.
We will stand up for Saskatchewan against the carbon tax that Prime Minister Trudeau is imposing on us. We will reduce our environmental impact with our Prairie Resilience Strategy. We will stand up for our people and our province. We will stand up against higher costs for families to get to work and to heat their homes. We will stand up against higher costs for municipalities, schools and hospitals. We will move ahead with the constitutional reference case to challenge the federal government’s ability to impose a carbon tax on our province. We will continue to stand up for our industries.
Safety, health and education, important to everyone in our province, were all addressed in the Throne Speech. There will be increased funding to improve highway intersection safety throughout the province. Changes will be made to improve commercial driver training. By the spring, cellular service in 50 rural communities will be improved as part of a plan to increase 4G LTE coverage in 100 Saskatchewan communities. We will introduce legislation on trespassing laws to better address the balance between members of the public and the rights of rural land owners.
The Throne Speech reaffirmed our commitment to reduce emergency room wait times. Improving access to mental health services continues, as crisis teams pairing a police officer with a mental health professional will be fully operational this winter here in Moose Jaw, as well as in North Battleford and Prince Albert.
Our education system must continually adapt to prepare our students for a fast-changing workforce and personal life. New curricula will be piloted in 2019 to improve students’ understanding and skills in financial literacy. Opportunities in coding and robotics will be incorporated into middle years and high school classrooms to help prepare our students for careers in science, technology, engineering and math. Lieutenant Governor Molloy reflected in the Throne Speech that “strength is built as challenges are faced head on”. Locally, our businesses on High Street faced a significant challenge for several months in 2017 and 2018. In facing the challenge, these businesses and the Moose Jaw Chamber of Commerce have banded together to celebrate the re-opening of High Street with a BBQ Party, this Saturday, October 27, from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. There will be free food, music, and entertainment for the kids. Please come down and join the fun. I hope to see you there.