Â鶹ÊÓƵ

Monday, May 1 saw a heavy focus in the legislature on issues of importance to the Battlefords and area. 

The carbon tax, mental health, and municipal funding were all issues that came up which were of importance to locals, and to their representatives. 

It was Cut Knife-Turtleford MLA Larry Doke who spoke on one of those issues, as he presented a petition from residents opposed to the federal government’s decision to impose a carbon tax. His remarks were recorded in Hansard.  

The Speaker: — I recognize the member from Cut Knife-Turtleford.

Mr. Doke: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’m pleased to rise today to present a petition from the citizens who are opposed to the federal government’s decision to impose a carbon tax on the province of Saskatchewan. I’d like to read the prayer:

We, in the prayer that reads as follows, respectfully request that the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan take the following action: to cause the Government of Saskatchewan to take the necessary steps to stop the federal government from imposing a carbon tax on the province.

Mr. Speaker, this petition is signed by the citizens of Shellbrook, Leask, Canwood, Big River. I do so present.

Later on in member’s statements, Battlefords MLA Herb Cox spoke about a topic of particular importance to his own constituency: Mental Health Week. 

Mr. Cox: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, May 1st to May 7th has been proclaimed as Mental Health Week. Mr. Speaker, we know that one in five people in Saskatchewan are directly affected by mental health issues. But we also know that indirectly it affects many more, including, Mr. Speaker, in this Chamber. We too are all affected in some way by mental health issues.

Mr. Speaker, while progress has been made in recent years when it comes to mental health care, we can do more and we will do more. Work in our government is ongoing to address the recommendations in the mental health and addictions action plan. In 2016-17, more than 35 recommendations and recommended actions were being addressed by the Ministry of Health and partner ministries.

Our government was also pleased to sign a health care agreement with the federal government that will see Saskatchewan receive $150 million for mental health care over the next 10 years. This funding is significant and every dollar will be put towards programs to improve mental health care in every corner of this province.

We will also be celebrating a construction milestone at the new Saskatchewan Hospital North Battleford on Friday, May the 5th. Sask Hospital North Battleford is now 50 per cent complete, is on budget, and is on track to be completed in 2018. And that completion date has been a long-awaited day in the Battlefords.

During this important week, Mr. Speaker, I want to remind my colleagues that we all have a responsibility to raise awareness of mental health illness and to work to reduce the discrimination and stigma associated with mental health. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

It was on to Question Period. One of the items that came up was, once again, the whole issue of cuts of SaskPower and SaskEnergy payments in lieu to municipalities.

Prince Albert Northcote MLA Nicole Rancourt took on Minister of Government Relations Donna Harpauer on that issue. North Battleford was mentioned during that exchange, as recorded in Hansard.  

Ms. Rancourt: — Mr. Speaker, the only thing worse than the Sask Party cuts are the ways they’re tying the hands of our cities, towns, and villages from standing up for the Saskatchewan people and themselves. The Government Relations minister says, no one has concerns.

Well, Mr. Speaker, SUMA [Saskatchewan Urban Municipalities Association] couldn’t be much more clear. The Sask Party’s legislation cancels all contracts for payments-in-lieu to 109 hometowns, allows the province to redirect millions to themselves instead, and prevents towns and cities from defending these contracts in court. Mr. Speaker, SUMA remains deeply concerned about what is being lost through Bill 64 and about what seems to be an intentional lack of clarity from the minister. Is the minister intentionally confusing the issue, or does she actually not understand this drastic cut?

The Speaker: — I recognize the Minister of Government Relations.

Hon. Ms. Harpauer: — Mr. Speaker, it is the member opposite and actually in some of SUMA’s communication that’s confusing the issue. There is not 109 contracts; 109 contracts do not exist. There is nine contracts with SaskEnergy and 10 with SaskPower.

In fact, the city of Saskatoon does not have a contract for grants-in-lieu for SaskPower. It was a letter of intent. That’s it. There is no contract there. For the city of North Battleford, it’s a board minute. It’s a board decision. So all together between both Crowns, there’s 19 contracts. Most of them have language around termination. So, Mr. Speaker, when they keep saying there’s 109 contracts, that’s simply not true.

As far as clarification, I have an email from the executive director for SUMA. And it says, and I quote:

The minister’s letter is very clear and most helpful for our members to gain a better understanding of the impact the budget announcements will have on their operations. The level of detail and clarity in this letter is exactly what we’re looking for, and our minister hit the mark.

That’s SUMA, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker: — I recognize the member from Prince Albert Northcote.

Ms. Rancourt: — It’s the Sask Party government that blew through an economic boom, and now they’re making municipalities and Saskatchewan people pay for the Sask Party’s mismanagement, scandal, and waste.

Mr. Speaker, that Sask Party is using their own current budget shortfalls to permanently take these revenues from cities, towns, and villages. The provincial government clearly made cuts in this budget that they don’t fully understand.

Will the minister start listening to municipalities and scrap Bill 64?

The Speaker: — I recognize the Minister of Government Relations.

Hon. Ms. Harpauer: — It’s ironic, Mr. Speaker, that that member opposite talks about how we blew through the money. Do you know who got more money and increases year over year over year for eight years? Municipalities, Mr. Speaker. Municipalities had no clue under the members opposite what their funding would be from year to year.

Mr. Speaker, for eight consecutive years we have increased funding to municipalities, not just in revenue sharing, Mr. Speaker, but in infrastructure funding. We have given funding for a stadium here in Regina, for bridges in Saskatoon, and the list goes on and on and on and on.

So that member opposite, to stand up when she represents a party that, when in government, there was tax revolts around this province, that is just too special and I will not be taking any, any direction from her whatsoever.

The exchange between Rancourt and Harpauer on the same issue resumed in question period the next day, Tuesday.  

Ms. Rancourt: — Lots of talk, Mr. Speaker, but no answers for municipalities who are being forced to pay for their decade-long run of mismanagement, scandal, and waste. Yesterday the minister tried to downplay the importance of the agreements with our towns and cities, and we saw her do that just again today.

Mr. Speaker, whether it’s a contract or a letter of agreement, they’ve got the government’s signature at the bottom. And the fact is, Mr. Speaker, she doesn’t like these agreements, so she scrapped them. Will the minister admit that if she really thought she was on good ground, she wouldn’t be tying the hands of municipal leaders with Bill 64 and the immunity clause that stops our cities, towns, and villages from defending themselves and Saskatchewan people? 

The Speaker: — I recognize the Minister of Government Relations.

Hon. Ms. Harpauer: — Mr. Speaker, I am quite looking forward to when we go to committee on this bill because the member opposite obviously does not know this file. Mr. Speaker, there are 19 contracts. There are 9 contracts with SaskEnergy, all of them have termination language within the contract. There are 10 contracts with SaskPower. There’s one letter, and in the letter it states that SaskPower is not obliged to make that payment, right in the letter. For the other hundred communities, Mr. Speaker, there is nothing. There is . . . [inaudible] . . . in paper. There is no letter. There is no contract. There is no deal that was made, Mr. Speaker, and the member opposite needs to recognize that.

The Speaker: — I recognize the member from Prince Albert Northcote. 

Ms. Rancourt: — Mr. Speaker, the member can deflect all she wants, but she should be listening to the mayors and councillors who aren’t buying what she’s selling. The Saskatoon tax hikes, that’s Sask Party tax hikes. The service cuts in Regina, those are Sask Party service cuts. In Yorkton and North Battleford where taxes are going up and badly needed upgrades are being put on hold, that’s on the Sask Party. And, Mr. Speaker, in Prince Albert, where after 10 years in government, the Sask Party still hasn’t built a second bridge.

Well it’s clear how little the Sask Party cares about communities and the economy and Prince Albert and the North. After a decade of Sask Party mismanagement, scandal, and waste, how can the Sask Party justify forcing our hometowns to pay the price?

The Speaker: — I recognize the Minister of Government Relations.

Hon. Ms. Harpauer: — Mr. Speaker, in the city of Saskatoon, two and a half times the revenue-sharing money that they received under the previous NDP government, that’s Sask Party increases. Mr. Speaker, in this budget alone, $15 million to Saskatoon for a bridge. That’s Sask Party’s money that’s funding, that’s going into Saskatoon’s bridge.

Mr. Speaker, we have increased revenue sharing overall across the province by over 100 per cent. That’s over double, Mr. Speaker. It’s even higher for all of our urban communities. Mr. Speaker, we have spent a record number of dollars on infrastructure in this province because it was totally neglected by the NDP government previous. Mr. Speaker, we have given tax breaks within this province. There used to be tax breaks around the entire province, Mr. Speaker, under the NDP. We have changed that as well.