Legislative Report (4 September 2008)

Helping Those Who Help

Our government is reaching out to human-service community-based organizations (CBOs) with the goal of strengthening the delivery of services to Saskatchewan people. Five regional consultations with CBOs will be held later this month, with more than 550 delegates currently registered to participate. The consultations will be a departure from how they have been conducted in the past: we intend to do the listening, not the talking. CBOs are an integral part of our government’s human-service delivery system and we value the unique knowledge and skills they can contribute to improving services for the people of this province. One of the facilitators of the consultations will be former NDP Social Services Minister and current Saskatoon city councilor Bob Pringle, who describes providing such an opportunity for CBOs to speak to the provincial government as long overdue. The five consultations will be held across Saskatchewan beginning September 15 in Saskatoon. For more information check this link on the Ministry of Social Services website.

MAKING PUBLIC SAFETY A PRIORITY

Ensuring public safety is a priority for your Saskatchewan Party government, which is why Corrections, Public Safety and Policing Minister Darryl Hickie reacted swiftly to the news of a prison break at the Regina Provincial Correctional Centre. The quick action taken by Minister Hickie marked a significant change from how the public was notified under the previous administration. Under the NDP, corrections officials would report the escape to the police, and then leave all further handling, including notification of the public, to the police. Minister Hickie identified a certain basic level of information that can be released to the public immediately upon discovery of an escape (number of inmates, what facility, whether they are dangerous or not) without jeopardizing the police’s apprehension efforts. That way the public finds out as soon as possible, and further handling is left to the police. Internal and external reviews into the escape from the Regina Provincial Correctional Centre are also being conducted, in addition to a province-wide search of all corrections facilities for weapons, drugs and other illegal materials as well as structural problems that could be used in future escape attempts. These searches will help improve the safety and security of our Corrections facilities, both for the public and the people who work there. The initiatives taken following the Regina prison break are all part of our government’s ongoing commitment to public safety.

FIRST-EVER SASKATCHEWAN-ALBERTA JOINT CABINET MEETING PLANNED

Our government’s role as a key player in the New West will continue at the first-ever joint Cabinet Planning and Priorities Committee meeting between Saskatchewan and Alberta later this month. At a time when Alberta and Saskatchewan are the engines driving the Canadian economy, this meeting is long overdue. As Canada’s main players in the energy industry, we have common interests including working together on carbon capture initiatives as a real solution to the challenges of addressing environmental priorities. Co-operation will help ensure the continued success of both provinces.

130,000 TIRES RECYCLED THROUGH HIGHWAY PROJECTS

Addressing the challenge of what to do with old tires is helping our government keep another promise. Crumb rubber asphalt pavement, created through the recycling of scrap tires, is being used to resurface several Saskatchewan highways, including Highway 1 near Maple Creek, Highway 2 near Meacham and Highway 10 near Fort Qu’Appelle. A similar technology is also being used on highways around Saskatoon. Innovative solutions such as crumb rubber asphalt are just one way that we are working toward a greener future for Saskatchewan, while also allowing us to keep our promise to address the infrastructure deficit created by the NDP.

Past Legislative Reports