Martensville Messenger September 8, 2016 | Page 14

Page 14 - SEPTEMBER 8, 2016 - MaRTEnSvillE MESSEngER Poll Shows Signs Of Divisions About the last thing either the province or the Saskatchewan Party need right now is more division. While one might think tough economic times bring people together, they sometimes really don’t. Tough economic times mean tough choices for a provincial government that’s already talking about “transformational change.” Exactly what that means is anyone’s guess at this point, but most will recognize it likely means more bickering over keeping what we already enjoy. This takes us to the latest indication of division - a poll done by Mainstreet Research for Postmedia (owners of the two major daily newspapers). The survey shows that the Saskatchewan Party still has a commanding 53 per cent of popular vote provincewide - the kind of public support that most other governing parties can only dream of. Remember: this is the beginning of the third term of government achieved the near impossible of getting that third term. Only CCF/NDP governments had accomplished that in the past century. However, the survey shows is that Premier Brad Wall’s government is now running behind the NDP in Regina where New Democrats have 52-per-cent support among divided votes compared with 39 per cent for the Sask. Party. Again, there is obviously no need for Wall and the Sask. Party to hit the panic button yet. Regina only represents a mere 11 of the province’s 61 seats. At 39 per cent, were an election held today, the Sask. Party would still likely win three to five of those Regina seats (depending on how the vote split worked. Moreover, the Sask. Party is still running ahead in Saskatoon that has 14 seats and far, far ahead in 30 rural seats. Still, it’s hard to ignore both the Sask. Party’s overall provincewide support is down from the 60 per cent it received in April 4th vote or the even more dramatic drop in Regina. Even harder to ignore is the likely reasons behind it - those deepening divisions we have seen in Saskatchewan. This has been a summer of discontent for Wall’s forces that really began with the Provincial Auditor’s report on both the Regina by-pass and Global Transportation Hub that illustrated highly questionable management practices of both former highways minister Nancy Heppner and former GTH/economy minister Bill Boyd. (By no small coincidence, both have now left Wall’s cabinet.) Add to the mix is its handling of the H usky pipeline spill into the North Saskatchewan River and the racial tensions with First Nations that sometimes unfairly are blamed on the government of the day. Now, throw in talk of privatizing SaskTel something Wall said he would consider if he received an offer that was large enough to eliminate the operating debt that’s now pegged at $4.1 billion. This cuts closer in Regina where SaskTel’s head office and most of its Parents Encouraged to Keep Children's vaccinations Up-To-Date As children head back to school, health officials are encouraging parents to ensure their children’s vaccinations are up-todate. Free childhood immunizations are available for all infants and school-age children in Saskatchewan. “Immunization is the most effective way to protect your children against vaccine-preventable diseases,” Chief Medical Health Officer Dr. Saqib Shahab said. “It’s important to have your children vaccinated on time and on schedule. It provides them with the best protection against highly contagious and potentially serious diseases, such as measles or whooping cough.” There has been a recent increase in pertussis (whooping cough) cases in Saskatchewan. Publicly-funded routine vaccinations are easily available in Saskatchewan at public health clinics (for pre-school children) and through schoolbased programs (for school age students). Infants and preschool-age children may receive the following free routine vaccinations: Diphtheria Tetanus Pertussis (whooping cough) Polio Haemophilus influenza type b Measles Mumps Rubella Varicella (chicken pox) Meningococcal disease Pneumococcal disease Rotavirus School-age children may receive the following free routine vaccinations: • Grade 6 students - hepatitis B, bacterial meningitis, varicella (chicken pox) • Grade 6 female students – human papillomavirus vaccine • Grade 8 students – tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis (whooping cough) booster All residents over six months of age may also receive a free influenza immunization to protect them during flu season. Public health flu clinics begin in late October. For more information, call your public health office, visit www. saskatchewan.ca/immunize or call HealthLine 811. Letter to the Editor The Martensville Messenger welcomes letters to the editor for publication. Letters must be signed and a phone number and/or email address included so the writer’s identity can be verified. ALL letters are the opinion of the writer and NOT the Martensville Messenger. We reserve the right to edit letters for length, clarity or compliance with the current standards of public taste. Submit your letter to ssealey@martensvillemessenger. ca or [email protected] or drop by the Martensville Messenger office at Bay #7 - 301 Centennial Drive North. Provincial Politics jobs are located. It’s also with another Murray Mandryk thing that has brought home the fiscal reality for a lot more people … and perhaps a sense that Wall and his Sask. Party government weren’t nearly as clear with the public about what they had in mind as they should have been. Finally, another social issue in play seems to be Don McMorris’s recent charge for drunk driving. That 80 per cent admit to having driven drunk at some point in their lives, sadly, suggests this isn’t as divisive an issue as perhaps it should be. What is more troubling for the Sask. Party in this poll is the 68 per cent who suggested McMorris shouldn’t run again. The survey results also showed that one-infive in this province still feel that it’s okay to drive drunk if it’s only for a short distance. This would seem to suggest another clear division - likely, between urban and rural people. It may be one more divide in a province that’s showing a lot of signs of division … never a good thing for a government. Have Your Say on Health System Restructuring Saskatchewan residents and interested organizations are invited to provide feedback to the recentlyannounced advisory panel examining the restructuring of Saskatchewan’s health care system. On August 18, the Minister of Health appointed a three person advisory panel to review the current Regional Health Authority (RHA) structure and provide advice on a system with fewer RHAs in Saskatchewan. The panel will also look at services that could be delivered more efficiently and effectively on a provincial scale, examine RHA board governance and accountability, and identify ways to enhance measurement of health system performance. “Our panel wants to support a robust and open dialogue with key partners and stakeholders throughout this process,” panel member Dr. Dennis Kendel said. “The panel wants to ensure the patient is at the centre of a redefined system, which will be structured and governed to best support and improve patient care.” The panel is now accepting online written submissions from all interested individuals and groups. The submission form can be accessed at www. saskatchewan.ca. Submission deadline is September 26. The submission form includes options for responding to each of the four areas within the panel’s mandate, though there is no requirement to complete all four. “Restructuring the health system is an extremely complex process,” panel member Brenda Abrametz said. “The panel welcomes opinions from different perspectives to enhance our abilities to make informed recommendations to the government.” “We sincerely appreciate everyone’s input in this important review that will help to shape the future of Saskatchewan’s health system structure,” panel member Tyler Bragg said. The Advisory Panel will provide scheduled updates throughout the process. All submissions are part of a consultation process that may be released publicly upon the completion of the panel’s work.