Legislative Report (13 March 2008)

Spring Session Underway

PREMIER SPEAKS AT SARM CONVENTION

Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall addressed the Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities’ convention this week and told delegates that the raw materials, or building blocks, for Saskatchewan’s future are located in rural Saskatchewan. These building blocks come in the form of our many natural resources including, oil, natural gas, potash, and uranium. Premier Wall told leaders and officials from Saskatchewan’s RMs that in order to secure the prosperity these resources can provide, the province must address the serious infrastructure deficit facing the province – an issue that he promised would be addressed in next week’s budget.

SPRING SESSION BEGINS

Spring session of the Legislative Assembly began on Monday, March 10. With an already impressive list of promises kept, your Saskatchewan Party government will add to that list when the 2008-09 budget is announced on Wednesday, March 19. Everything’s top secret until then, but we can tell you to expect news on crumbling highways and property taxes that are way too high to mention just a couple of items that will be addressed. The Saskatchewan Party government’s first budget will maintain Saskatchewan’s economic momentum while ensuring everyone shares in the benefits of that momentum. Finance Minister Rod Gantefoer will deliver the budget address at approximately 2:30 p.m. on the 19th. You can tune in to watch live on-line at the Legislative Assembly website.

PROTECTING THOSE MOST VULNERABLE A new commitment for protecting children at risk has been announced by your Saskatchewan Party government. We are spending $15 million on a computerized electronic case management system to track children in the care of Saskatchewan Social Services' Child and Family Services Division. The technology will provide case workers with the most current status of the child’s file immediately, which allows for decision making that will be in the best interest of the child’s health, safety and well being. For years, ministry officials had asked for such a system, only to have their pleas fall on deaf ears. That made it impossible to accurately track the estimated 4,000 children in the care of the province. The new system is expected to be fully operational by 2011.

NURSING RECRUITMENT TRIP TO PHILIPPINES SUCCESSFUL

Your Saskatchewan Party government has managed to achieve in four months what the NDP could not in 16 years. The recent nursing recruitment trip to the Philippines has resulted in almost 300 nurses being offered jobs. It is expected they will be certified to work in Saskatchewan by the summer. We are well on our way to our campaign commitment to add 800 nurses during our first term in office.

GET THOSE GOPHERS

Some Saskatchewan farmers have access again to one of the most powerful forms of gopher control. Agriculture Minister Bob Bjornerud announced this week 60 rural municipalities have been granted access to two per cent liquid strychnine. The use of liquid strychnine in that concentrate was banned in 1992. Last year, emergency registration for two per cent liquid strychnine concentrate came from the federal government, but only for a one-year period. The minister also announced a $380,000 gopher control project that will begin this year in the southwest part of the province, one of the hardest hit areas.

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