Legislative Report

Let's Speak Up About Highways!

The official start of summer is just a couple of weeks away, but the summer driving season has already begun in Saskatchewan. Residents, visitors and truckers in various regions of the province are hitting the road only to find out that the condition of many of highways are in a state of complete disrepair.

The NDP government is blaming it on the warm winter we had last year, but this is a problem that didn’t happen over one season. Sources inside the Department of Highways and Transportation tell us there is no significant long-term plan for Saskatchewan’s highways and that’s part of the problem.

This week, we in the Saskatchewan Party have launched a campaign that encourages drivers to write in and challenge Premier Lorne Calvert to drive on the worst highways in their community. We will then plan a summer driving tour route for the Premier based on submissions.

We believe the only way the Premier can have a good understanding of how treacherous some of Saskatchewan’s highways have become, is by driving on them himself. Only then can he truly understand the negative impact crumbling roads have on local economies, tourism and the safety of all motorists.

There are a number of regions of the province that contribute hundreds of millions of dollars to the provincial economy through industry and tourism where the highways are crumbling. People who live in areas like this in the province wonder how the NDP government can take so much money out of their communities, and then fail to invest in their roads. In some instances, these roads provide a community’s only link to local health care services and poor road conditions make the highway almost impassable for ambulances. Finally, residents who travel these roads on a daily basis are fearful for their safety and the safety of their family and friends.

Past Legislative Reports