MLA Report From
OPINIONS
OPINIONS
OPINIONS
Nancy Heppner
Page 14 - JUne 2, 2016 - martensville messenger
be another
First Home Plan Open
Phone: 306-668-1093 Email: [email protected]
season.
for Application
68-1093
Email:
[email protected]
A promise to let postne: 306-668-1093 Email: [email protected]
Crowns In Sync
With Rural Sask
When you think about it,
both the Saskatchewan
Party government and rural
Saskatchewan have a very
odd relationship with our
Crown corporations. Both
the Sask. Party and rural
Saskatchewan right now
are largely conservative
in nature, explaining why
about three out of every
four rural voters have
voted for Premier Brad
Wall’s party in the past two
elections.
Yet
both
rural
Saskatchewan and the
Sask.
Party
remain
supporters of our Crown
corporations,
mostly
seen as something that’s
emerged out of the social
democratic ideology. Like
many issues in politics,
the reasons why are more
complex than initially
meets the eye.
First, while the CCF/NDP
whole-heartedly
took
ownership of the Crowns
as their own idea, the
creation of Crowns like
SaskPower pre-bates the
formation of the CCF in
1933. Moreover, one might
be surprised to know Grant
Devine’s
Progressive
Conservatives
created
more
Saskatchewan
Crown corporations than
anyone. This would seem
to suggest that good ideas
(nor bad ones, for that
matter) know no political
bounds.
Second, what amounts to
a goo d idea in governance
largely depends on your
need, which may be why
rural Saskatchewan has
always embraced the
Crown
corporations.
Rural voters may now be
conservative in nature. But
all voters put
their own needs
first, which may
be why rural
Saskatchewan is now
contradictorily supportive
of
the
Saskatchewan
Transportation Company
Bus Company or even
SaskTel that competes
directly with private sector
providers.
It may not make any sense
to support either in the
context of a free-enterprise
philosophy, but it makes a
lot of sense in the context
of basic needs. And given
that Premier Brad Wall’s
Sask. Party is still reliant
on rural Sask. voters
to maintain its strong
government majority, it
only makes sense that it
would be eager to cater
to rural voters’ needs. In
that sense, keeping STC
is no different than adding
an MRI to Moose Jaw’s
hospital or CT scanner
to Estevan. Meeting the
needs and wants of rural
voters still dictates much
of
this
government’s
policy making.
Public health care is
still a huge priority for
rural voters…or at least,
close, local CT scanners
are more of a priority to
rural voters than whether
hospital laundry service
is delivered by a private
company or employees of
the local health region. It
is for this reason that you
are now hearing concerns
over the government
“privatizing” SaskTel.
At issue is Wall’s recent
announcement
that
SaskTel will undergo a
“risk analysis” to assess
its value and operations in
Provincial
Politics
with
Murray Mandryk
today’s
competitive
telecommunication,
TV
and Internet markets.
Nervous
unions
and
SaskTel employees (most
of whom are located in the
cities) are fearful that this
move coming in the wake
of the sale of Manitoba’s
MTS - means SaskTel is
up on the privatization
block. Certainly, the fact
that other private carriers
can now use SaskTel’s
network and towers in rural
Saskatchewan has added to
the case that a governmentowned telephone company
is no longer needed.
But listening to Wall, one
gets the distinct impression
that he isn’t exactly eager
to offend his rural base by
privatizing the telephone
company most committed
to
providing
rural
Saskatchewan with cell
coverage, Internet, satellite
TV, etc.
Really, Wall is just doing
the same thing the former
NDP government did
when it also conducted
such risk assessments. To
not undergo such a risk
analysis would seem more
irresponsible. And if the
Sask. Party were as hellbent on privatization as
the unions and NDP say
they are, wouldn’t it also
be ordering the same “risk
analysis” for SaskPower or
SaskEnergy?
Instead, we will see a
10-per-cent
SaskPower
rate hike, but that’s a
story for another day. As
for today, the Crowns are
still in sync with rural
Saskatchewan needs.
secondary graduates use up
to $10,000 of their Graduate
Retention
Program
(GRP) credits towards the
down payment on their
first home, is a promise
kept.
The Government
of Saskatchewan is now
taking applications for the
First Home Plan.
The First Home Plan will
help recent grads who have
the income to qualify for
a mortgage, but may be
having challenges saving
for a down payment.
This plan is part of our
commitment to make
Saskatchewan the best
place in Canada to go to
school, find a job, buy a
home and start a family.
The plan will also help
employers to recruit grads
from inside and outside the
province.
great camping
There is still a lot of
availability for anyone
who may still want to book
a campsite and there are
several different ways to
book; online at saskparks.
goingtocamp.com, via the
mobile site at skmobile.
goingtocamp.com
or
through the Call Centre at
1-855-737-7275.
In
some
cases,
fire
restrictions may be in place,
prohibiting all open fires.
Check www.saskparks.net/
FireBan2016 for a complete
list of all fire restrictions.
New this year, campers
will be able to make online
reservations
in
seven
provincial parks for dates
after the Labour Day long
weekend. The parks that
are piloting fall camping
reservations
are:
The
Battlefords,
Blackstrap,
First-time homebuyers and Cypress Hills, Danielson,
those who have not owned Douglas, Narrow Hills and
a home in the last five Rowan’s Ravine.
years may be eligible for
the First Home Plan. Those Learn to Camp, a new
who took possession of program in 2015, will take
their home on or after May place in three parks this
1, 2016, are eligible for the year: Echo Valley, Good
Spirit Lake and Pike Lake.
program.
This guided program allows
To learn more, you can call people who are new to
Saskatchewan
Housing nature the opportunity to
Corporation
at
306- experience camping in a
787-4177 or toll-free at provincial park. All camping
1-800-667-7567, or visit equipment is provided
and participants only need
saskatchewan.ca/GRP.
to bring their own food,
Provincial Parks Open clothes and bedding. Learn
for the Season
more at www.saskparks.net/
S a s k a t c h e w a n ’ s LearnToCamp.
provincial
parks
are
places where people go Based on the success of
to make memories, enjoy Learn to Camp last year, a
recreational activities and new program will pilot this
connect with nature. Last summer: Learn to Fish.
year was a record year with Details on this program,
nearly 3.9 million visits.
including
dates
and
With stunning natural
features, fantastic amenities
and quality programming,
it’s no surprise that the
popularity of our parks is
growing.
Many people
made it a priority to visit
a Saskatchewan Provincial
Park this past weekend and,
with another successful
launch, we expect this will
locations will be announced
soon.
The
Government
of
Saskatchewan is investing
more than $1.2 million
into campsite electrical
expansion and upgrades
in three parks this year:
Good Spirit Lake, Lac La
Ronge and Meadow Lake.
Nearly
300
campsites
across
t h e s e
t h r e e
p a r k s
ABOVE: MLA
w i l l
Nancy Hepner
receive
either new or improved
electrical service.
Total funding for the provincial
parks system since 2007
is more than $200 million.
This funding includes capital
expenditures and investment,
operational funding, and parks
programming.
I invite you to visit a provincial
park thi s summer. Take time
to make memories with
your family and friends in a
provincial park this year.
Work Zone Safety Shouldn’t
Take A Holiday
Planning your visit to a
provincial park should include
a quick check at The Highway
Hotline for the latest updates
on construction, emergency
road closures, the status
of ferries, barges or other
road activities. Nearly 270
kilometres of highway projects
are currently underway across
the province.
Reducing your speed to 60
km/hr is most commonly
associated with active work
zones where workers present
but, at times, it is necessary to
slow down because of hazards
such as loose stones and sharp
drop-offs. I encourage you to
drive with caution, even in the
absence of workers.
Starting this year and over
the next three years, our
government will fix more
highways through a $70 million
surge in highway repair and
maintenance. This is part of
a new Highways 2020 Plan to
invest $2.7 billion in highways
and transportation capital over
the next four years.
Over the past eight years, our
government has made record
investments in highways
and infrastructure, repairing
and rebuilding over 10,000
kilometres of Saskatchewan
roads. This is nearly 700
kilometres longer than the
width of Canada from the east
to west coasts.
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