MLAS have chance to rise above petty politics

It's unrealistic to hope politicians will spend the Saskatchewan legislature spring sitting — the last one before the 2024 general election in October — productively wrapping up unfinished business from the province's 29th legislature.

This won't happen. If anything, expect more than the usual bombast — much of it revolving around a budget with perhaps specious numbers, the teachers' strikes, the federal carbon tax and a seemingly growing number of missteps of individual MLAS or cabinet ministers.

It will be another hostile sitting — not only because this pre-election sitting will be a last chance to score political points, but also because members of the NDP and Saskatchewan Party truly dislike each other.

It seems unlikely our provincial politicians will rediscover the important difference between the words “opponent” and “enemy” in a democratic setting.

Ironically, though, our politicians were afforded last week an incredibly important reminder as to why all of us (including the politicians) would be far better off if they slightly curtailed their hostilities, spent a little more time listening to each other and maybe even collaborated on finding the best solutions.

Alas, these also are likely unrealistic expectations ... although there's always the hope that it will dawn on our politicians that some issues go well beyond the petty rhetoric that fuels our legislature.

Mental Health and Addictions Minister Tim Mcleod announced initiatives on suicide prevention last week in which families and friends affected by suicides will be able to obtain free, rapid counselling.

Beyond telephone access, the services will be available in person at Family Service in Regina and Saskatoon, Catholic Family Service in Prince Albert and PARTNERS Family Service in Humboldt.

“It's been identified that losing someone to suicide actually increases one's risk of suicide themselves, so this is actually part of our overall suicide prevention strategy,” Mcleod noted.

Coming almost two years after the NDP Opposition brought grieving families to the legislature in the hope of finding support similar to this, the Sask. Party government hardly deserves betterlate-than-never congratulations for now coming forward with this $200,000 initiative.

More should have been done. It should have been done much sooner. But, instead, the Sask. Party government opted to give shortshrift to this critical issue.

Premier Scott Moe refused to meet with Tristen Durocher, who had walked from La Ronge to raise awareness of the suicide issue — even taking him to court for the petty reason of setting up a teepee on the legislative lawn.

New Democrat MLA Doyle Vermette's suicide prevention bill was initially shot down by the Sask. Party government majority.

And when Vermette brought those parents to the legislature in 2022, he was further rebuffed by government. In fact, the Cumberland MLA was kicked out of the legislature for suggesting the government simply “did not give a (expletive)” about the issue.

But notwithstanding all this, it is a good step forward to see Mcleod and Health Minister Everett Hindley moving on such issues. It's a start.

After last week's announcement on the program, NDP health critic Vicki Mowat noted this investment is only .04 per cent of the province's mental-health budget. “The premier spent five times this amount on a single trip to Dubai,” she said.

One gets the NDP'S legitimate frustration, given that this could have been done years ago. One even gets the need for politicians to score as many political points as possible before the October vote.

One could probably dedicate the entire $7 billion in annual provincial health spending or even Saskatchewan's entire $19-billion annual budget and still not stop every suicide. When it comes to issues like this, it is “never soon enough” and there is “never enough money or resources.”

Sometimes, the best we can likely hope for is that our politicians see the counterproductive nature of their political animosity ... or at least that some issues are far more important than the rhetoric.

Let's hope we see that recognition in this last sitting before the election.