Legislative Report (10 April 2008)

GOODBYE ALBERTA, HELLO SASKATCHEWAN!

Saskatchewan’s emergence as the hotbed of Canadian oil and gas activity continues. The April land sale of Crown petroleum and natural gas rights blew away a new all-time record set just two months ago, coming in at $265 million. It is obvious this government’s positive Ready For Growth message is being heard across the country and around the world. The good land sale news is just a start: it will result in millions of dollars in investments and thousands of jobs.

PROMISES MADE. PROMISES KEPT.

With two more announcements, your Saskatchewan Party government has now kept more than 60 campaign promises. The first was the announcement of a review of the Crop Insurance Program. The review will start immediately and be complete by fall. Recommendations will be considered for the 2009 program. For information on how to get involved call 1-866-6222-CROP or go to this link. Under Lorne Calvert, coverage decreased and premiums went up. We have already started undoing the damage; back in February, your Saskatchewan Party government increased coverage per acre by more than $40.

The other promise kept was to give people who go green a few dollars. Your Saskatchewan Party government has announced a reward plan for people who drive “green” vehicles. Under the “Go Green” plan, you qualify for a 20 per cent rebate from SGI if you own and drive a hybrid and fuel-efficient vehicle that qualifies under the Government of Canada’s ecoAUTO program. Approximately 3,400 SGI customers should start receiving cheques averaging about $172 within the next couple of weeks.

CANADA’S NEW ECONOMIC POWERHOUSE

A new report calls Saskatchewan “the new provincial growth leader.” The RBC Financial Group’s latest Provincial Outlook report predicts our province will lead the country in economic growth in both 2008 and 2009. We will also be number one in employment growth, growth of disposable income, retail sales and have the lowest unemployment rate. In addition, Saskatchewan will be the only province in 2008 that won’t see a decline in housing starts. We have also learned that in March there were a record number of people working in Saskatchewan. The timing of our Ready For Growth budget couldn’t have been better; we already have a plan in place on how to handle this kind of growth!

KEEPING HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS AT HOME

Reversing the tide on brain drain is something your Saskatchewan Party government takes very seriously. The future of a society can be measured in terms of its young people. For far too long, the young men and women of Saskatchewan started their careers outside the province. This government’s commitment to changing that can be seen in $6 million in bursaries for students who wish to become healthcare professionals. To get the money, the students have to agree upon graduation to work in Saskatchewan. Couple the bursaries with the $20,000 post-secondary graduate rebate program contained in the Ready For Growth budget and you have a winning combination that serves as a great foundation for this province’s future!

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