The Throne Speech marking the start on the new session of the Saskatchewan Legislature was presented last week.聽
鈥淪askatchewan has enjoyed a decade of growth and our government is working to ensure our province keeps growing stronger,鈥� Premier Brad Wall said in a release the day of the speech.聽 鈥淭oday鈥檚 Throne Speech outlines our plan to strengthen our economy, continue to improve important services like health care and education, protect our communities, and carefully manage the province鈥檚 finances.鈥�
鈥淓ven after a decade of growth, there is still a lot of work to do and our government has many new ideas and initiatives we will be introducing during this session,鈥� Wall said.聽 鈥淚 look forward to a vigorous debate on our agenda and to moving forward with our government鈥檚 plan to keep Saskatchewan growing stronger.鈥�
Not surprisingly the provincial opposition was not enamoured by what they heard.
鈥淚t鈥檚 easy to look good when oil is at $100 per barrel but now that times are tougher, the Sask. Party are failing Saskatchewan people,鈥� NDP Leader Nicole Sarauer said in a party release 鈥淭his Speech from the Throne is the definition of unambitious and shows that the Sask. Party still seems more interested in serving the Premier鈥檚 legacy than the people of Saskatchewan.鈥�
鈥淒espite all of the backtracking, and bravado, the Sask. Party are refusing to back down on their heartless cuts and unfair tax hike that are hurting Saskatchewan people and they are still handing tens of millions of dollars to the wealthy and well-connected,鈥� said Sarauer. 鈥淪mall businesses across the province are still reeling
from the Sask. Party鈥檚 increase and expansion of the PST and the elimination of their compensation for collecting it. Their new promise to change small-business taxes does not make up for these attacks against our job creators.鈥�
Yorkton MLA Greg Ottenbreit said a key element moving forward from the Throne Speech will be the new provincial health board which is a step to continue reducing health care administration costs through the consolidation of the province鈥檚 12 regional health authorities into a single Saskatchewan Health Authority.
Ottenbreit noted 鈥渋t will be a big part of what we鈥檙e going to be doing the next months and years.鈥�
Ottenbreit said the government has taken time to roll out the provincial board which will replace a series of regional ones in order to get it right. While there may still be challenges as the transition takes place 鈥渨e鈥檒l manage it as best we can, and come to a very successful authority.鈥�
The Speech also announced the government鈥檚 plan to repeal the provisions of Bill 40 that allow for the sale of a partial equity position in a Crown Corporation.
鈥淲e heard overwhelmingly 鈥� (people) didn鈥檛 want us to go that direction,鈥� said Ottenbreit. 鈥溾�� We heard them loud and clear.鈥�
Ottenbreit said the plan to improve the rate of organ donation in the province through a new program led by donor physicians is an important one.
鈥淲e鈥檙e taking some significant steps with organ donation,鈥� he said.
The government also announced its plan to amend The Privacy Act to allow greater protection against the unauthorized electronic distribution of intimate images.
鈥淚t will help protect our young people who may not be thinking long term when sharing certain images,鈥� said Ottenbreit.
Working with municipalities to allow ride sharing-services like Uber and Lyft to operate in Saskatchewan is also on the agenda, said Ottenbreit. He said it might not be a fit for all municipalities, but working with SGI regarding insurance for drivers is a step to help the services be viable where they are a fit.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a direction we鈥檙e happy to go,鈥� he said.
A plan to introduce legislation that will protect the right to school choice by invoking the notwithstanding clause of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms is one which will have relevance in Yorkton, said Ottenbreit.
The decision protects a range of schools, from those in the Catholic system to other faith-based schools. By invoking the Charter clause the government will ensure parents continue to have choices regarding their children鈥檚 education, he said.
The Throne Speech also outlined the government鈥檚 plans to:聽
鈥� Fulfill its commitment to provide individualized funding to children under six with Autism Spectrum Disorder;
* Introduce legislation to facilitate the federal government鈥檚 legalization of the use of non-medical marijuana;
鈥� Create a process to improve the disclosure of decisions made by the Office of Residential Tenancies (Rentalsman鈥檚 Office) to better protect the rights of both tenants and landlords;
鈥� Continue to improve internet and cellular coverage throughout rural Saskatchewan;
鈥� Consider a range of retaliatory trade measures that could be implemented in response to Alberta鈥檚 beer rebate program that discriminates against Saskatchewan brewers;
鈥� Focus Saskatchewan鈥檚 business tax reductions on small businesses by returning the corporate tax rate to 12 per cent 鈥� the same as other western provinces 鈥� and raising the small business income threshold to $600,000, the highest in Canada;
鈥� Introduce an Agriculture Value Added New Growth Incentive to attract more investment;
鈥� Introduce further actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions while continuing to oppose the imposition of a carbon tax in Saskatchewan, including through a legal challenge if necessary;
鈥� Create a new provincial park in the Porcupine Hills, southeast of Hudson Bay; and
鈥� Introduce a new Seniors Education Property Tax Deferral Program that will give seniors with household incomes under $70,000 the option to defer the education portion of property tax on their homes.
