Legislative Report (9 January 2008)

Sask. Party Government Cooperation Benefits Saskatchewan People

This past week, your Saskatchewan Party government demonstrated its willingness and ability to cooperate with various levels of government for the betterment of Saskatchewan people through a number of joint announcements and meetings.

Increased funding for expansion of Saskatoon’s Prairieland Park

The Saskatchewan Party government has announced a partnership with the Government of Canada and the City of Saskatoon that will invest $2.8 million in a new 20,000 square-foot building expansion at Prairieland Park. This expansion will provide new space for both livestock and tradeshows in order to attract larger events to the Trade Center. This investment is a sign of our government’s recognition of Prairieland Park’s important contributions to Saskatoon and surrounding communities in areas such as agriculture, entertainment, sport and culture.

More money for tourism

As the result of another federal-provincial announcement, the Assiniboine Corridor Development Inc. (ACDI) will receive a $105,000 investment to create marketing initiatives and materials to raise awareness of the region as a tourism destination. This funding will be used to help ACDI develop tourism along the Assiniboine River and its tributaries within Saskatchewan and Manitoba, an area which includes 31 municipalities and First Nation communities. ACDI plans to develop the corridor into a year-round recreational, tourism, economic and conservation area.

Sask. Party government makes further steps to set up Enterprise Saskatchewan

This past week, the Ministry of Enterprise and Innovation sent out more than 300 invitations to Saskatchewan organizations to invite them to submit nominees to sit on the Board of Enterprise Saskatchewan. Invitations were sent out to business, labour, Aboriginal, agricultural, municipal government, post-secondary institutions and other economic stakeholders.

The formation of this new private-public partnership will help achieve our government’s goals of taking the politics out of economic development, returning the reins of the economy back into the hands of Saskatchewan people and making innovation and education a driving force in the economic growth of our province.

Border issues discussed at multi-jurisdictional meeting

Government Services Minister Dan D’Autremont, Enterprise and Innovation Minister Lyle Stewart and Estevan MLA Doreen Eagles joined city, provincial and state officials from Montana, Alberta and Saskatchewan at a Border Community Roundtable in Great Falls, Montana. The meeting was organized to build a dialogue on increasing collaboration on border issues, including transportation, security and the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative. With more than $65 million in commodities passing through the Sweetgrass Border Crossing in 2006 and more than half a million visits made by Canadians to Montana, this is an important issue for both the economy and the people of Saskatchewan.

Natural disasters and emergency management top agenda at meeting in Halifax

Corrections, Public Safety and Policing Minister Darryl Hickie travelled to Halifax to meet with federal, provincial and territorial ministers responsible for emergency management. This is an important area as Saskatchewan has been experiencing more frequent and severe natural disasters in recent years. The Saskatchewan Party government is committed to ensuring that Saskatchewan is an active participant in inter-provincial partnerships and joint approaches to emergency response. This on-going commitment will ensure that our government can respond effectively and efficiently when our people are faced with the misfortune of a natural disaster.

Taxpayers Must Foot Bill for Unnecessary By-Election after NDP MLA Jumps Ship

The residents of the northern constituency of Cumberland found themselves without an MLA less than two months after the provincial election when NDP MLA Joan Beatty resigned her seat in order to run as the Liberal candidate in the upcoming federal by-election in Desnethe-Missinippi Churchill River.

Apparently Ms. Beatty was approached last summer by the federal Liberals and should never have run in the provincial election if her only intention was to jump ship in the end.
She stated that she left in order to be able to have more of an impact as a Liberal MP, which speaks volumes of her feelings on the effectiveness of the NDP in Opposition.

So, not only does such an irresponsible move leave the constituents of Cumberland without an MLA to represent them in the legislature, it also means that they will have to go through a second election campaign in less than a year. That means that you the taxpayer will have to foot the bill for a by-election that really shouldn’t be happening.

Don McMorris will be holding his 8th Annual Constituency Tour. The tour will be held on February 21, 22, 28 & 29, 2008 in various towns in the Indian Head – Milestone constituency.

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