Legislative Report
(21 July 2010)

Excess Moisture Program (EMP)

Our government has roots in rural Saskatchewan. We understand agriculture is the backbone of our communities, which is why are we are taking historic measures in response to the unprecedented flooding producers have experienced this spring and summer. We recently partnered with the federal government to introduce a $360-million Excess Moisture Program (EMP) to help Saskatchewan farmers manage flooded crop land. The EMP, the largest one-time provincial agricultural disaster response in Saskatchewan’s history, provides $30 per eligible acre for both unseeded crop land as of June 20th and seeded crop land flooded out on or before July 31st. In addition to this support, Crop Insurance customers are eligible for an unseeded acreage benefit of up to $50 per eligible acre, and also have coverage for seeded land that has been flooded out.

Park Upgrades

The rainy weather hasn’t deterred Saskatchewan families from going camping. When you get to the park, you will notice some significant improvements. Our government has added more than a thousand electrified campsites. We are also upgrading or replacing some service centres, boat launches, potable water systems, picnic tables and barbecues.

Mosquito Season

When you’re outside this summer, remember to protect yourself from mosquitoes. We are now officially in West Nile season. Take simple precautions such as wearing bug spray, covering up, avoiding the outdoors between dusk and dawn, and emptying areas and containers that collect water.

Physician Recruitment

Your family’s health is a priority for our government. This summer, we are continuing our ongoing physician retention and recruitment efforts in rural Saskatchewan. We recently announced the creation of four new medical residency training positions in Swift Current. This is the latest step in a plan to expand medical education beyond Saskatoon and into rural Saskatchewan. Training these new doctors in rural areas will hopefully encourage them to work and live in rural Saskatchewan after graduation. We are also providing approximately $450,000 in short-term funding to help medical residents with their student loans. The funding brings our government one step closer towards achieving our goal of increasing the number of medical school graduates who establish a practice in Saskatchewan. Plus, physician recruitment is pivotal as our government works to decrease surgical wait times to no more than three months.

Past Legislative Reports