Joe Hargrave reflects on 2017 and the year ahead

Prince Albert Carlton MLA and SaskParty Cabinet Minister Joe Hargrave caught up with paNOW to discuss the challenges and successes he faced in 2017, and what he expects in the year ahead.

Hargrave said his biggest success in 2017 was the implementation of stricter impaired driving legislation as minister responsible for SGI. The senseless deaths on Saskatchewan’s roads and highways need to end, Hargrave said, and he hopes the stronger penalties help residents think twice before getting behind the wheel.

“It’s just too tragic in this province,” Hargrave said. “It has to stop.”

Hargrave said the legalization of marijuana – something many Canadians are looking forward to in the summer of 2018 – could create some new issues around impaired driving, but Saskatchewan is as ready as any other province. The legislation is already in place, he said, and includes a zero-tolerance policy for any drug-impaired driving.

Unsurprisingly, Hargrave said the biggest challenge in 2017 was the provincial budget. Facing a $1.2 billion shortfall in revenue, Hargrave said tough decisions had to be made. Making cuts is never easy, Hargrave said, but he’s hoping to see the economy continue to recover next year. The shortfall was largely due to resource prices, he said, which are beginning to stabilize and improve.

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The past year saw the province paying increased attention to the widespread issue of rural crime. Hargrave said he expects the newly-created Protection and Response Team will be effective at curbing the issue, but added additional measures could also be on the table in 2018.

“It seem to be growing and growing in certain areas, and it has to come to an end,” he said. “If additional action has to be taken, we’re prepared to do that.”

Hargrave said the amalgamation of the provincial health regions will likely result in more consistent healthcare across the entire province. By saving at the administrative levels, he said the province will have more money available to invest in front-line care.

“I think the one authority is going to be good for the province,” he said. “[Healthcare] should be more consistent throughout the province, and I look forward to that getting fully implemented.”

Both the SaskParty and the Saskatchewan NDP have ongoing leadership races, which means Saskatchewan will have a new premier and opposition leader heading into the spring session. Hargrave, who endorsed Scott Moe for SaskParty leadership, said renewal is good for the province, but it’s definitely going to make 2018 an exciting year for provincial politics.

“This year’s been very interesting,” Hargrave said, “but next year, with new leadership in both parties, it’s going to make for an interesting spring session and an interesting year.”

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paNOW asked all of our local MLAs the same year-end questions. Check back tomorrow, as we catch up with Prince Albert Northcote MLA Nicole Rancourt.

–With files from Teena Monteleone

Taylor.macpherson@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @TMacPhersonNews