By Sarah Stone

POLL: Prince Albert overlooked in throne speech: NDP leader

Oct 24, 2013 | 6:34 AM

It was a throne speech focused on “growth,” but leader of the NDP Cam Broten said it left out a key element in that growth—Prince Albert.

On Wednesday, the speech was delivered by Lieutenant Governor Vaughn Solomon Schofield at the legislature to mark the opening of the third session of the provincial government.

After the speech, Broten said the City of Prince Albert was overlooked, with only a couple items being mentioned that weren’t actually “new news.”

“PA was not even the least bit on the radar in this throne speech,” Broten said. “And that’s consistent with this government’s approach to this city because what I’ve heard from business owners, from families is that they feel like they’ve been forgotten by this government.”

“This government is failing on so many fronts especially as it relates to PA,” he said. While in recent weeks a new Circle Drive South Bridge opened in Saskatoon and a new overpass opened on the west side of Regina, a similar item for those in Prince Albert wasn’t on the list.

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“No talk of a bridge and it’s really consistent of no focus on Prince Albert in this throne speech. It’s disappointing to me on a general sense of the province and it’s disappointing to me on how Prince Albert’s being treated,” he said.

The lack of mention of the city wasn’t the only thing that left Broten unhappy.

“Well I’m really disappointed in this throne speech. It’s mostly rehashing of things that have already been talked about and it really is a backwards looking document,” he said, adding he was looking for a way to diversify the economy in a better way and use the benefit of its natural resources right now.

In the speech, the government announced a $10 million Urgent Issues Action Fund to improve seniors’ care by launching new home care pilot programs as well as provide equipment and improved training.

“We’re working on reducing the pressure in our long-term care system and we’re launching some new home care pilot programs, Prince Albert is one of them that gets a pilot program,” said Prince Albert Northcote MLA Victoria Jurgens, and explained the details will be coming out later.

Prince Albert Carlton MLA Darryl Hickie also emphasized the importance of a new program that will provide in-home care and house calls to patients.

“This government is taking actions to address those needs especially supporting individuals who are at home who have trouble to seek physicians and special care in the city, this way we’re going to address that by coming to their homes, so it give them the dignity of staying in their home and providing health care to address their needs,” Hickie said.

But for Broten this isn’t enough, merely “a drop in the bucket.”

“Their approached to the seniors’ care crisis in the province doesn’t nearly go far enough,” Broten said.

“[It] doesn’t do anything to address the chronic short-staffing which is identified by frontline health care workers and families as the real root of the problem.”

He said the idea of having in-house visits and home care visits are not new. “If house visits aren’t occurring it’s because this government hasn’t recruited enough physicians to care for Saskatchewan patients,” Broten said.

In reaction to Broten’s comments, Hickie stood by the government’s plan.

“I hate to criticize the leader of our opposition party, but in this case I’ll gladly do this. To say this is a backwards step is blindsiding, I think, his party because the question to me is what is his plan? What’s his plan to address the seniors’ care issues in this province,” Hickie said.

Highlights from the speech

Hickie said there was a few points worth noting from the speech that he thinks will benefit Prince Albert.

“I wouldn’t say there’s one specific thing directed to my constituency, but the throne speech talks about the growth that’s happening in the province and how various issues and initiatives are going to be actioned in this next
session and help augment what’s already been done and to support those initiatives that Prince Albert can benefit from,” Hickie said.

One of which is the twinning of Highway 11 that will be finished this fall.

“That will bring more economy to the City of Prince Albert along with letting our businesses get their goods and services out to the rest of the province easier,” Hickie said.

To go along with the twinning of the highway is harsher penalties for drinking and driving.

Over the past year, Hickie has been chairing the Legislative Assembly’s Special Committee on Traffic Safety and in the speech it is stated the “government will act on the recommendations” of this committee.

“We know there was a very bad year last year for highway fatalities and I await to see what cabinet is deciding on the 26 recommendations that were provided by my committee,” Hickie said.

Overall, he said there is nothing missing from the throne speech he would have like to see. He feels the government is heading in the same direction they talked about 2007.

“We’ve built the province, we’re growing the province and this isn’t all about the government this is about the people of the province working hand-in-hand.”

sstone@panow.com

On Twitter: @sarahstone84