By Glenn Hicks

P.A. MLAs weigh in on Throne Speech

Oct 24, 2018 | 6:28 PM

Prince Albert’s MLAs, who sit on opposite sides of the aisle, have offered their take on the first Throne Speech under Premier Scott Moe. 

The document promises a raft of measures the SaskParty government said will honour their commitment to stand up for Saskatchewan people.

It includes the delivery of a balanced budget for the 2019-20 fiscal year, a Prairie Resilience Climate Change Strategy, the completion of the Saskatchewan Hospital North Battleford, and improved response times and enhanced officer visibility in rural Saskatchewan through the Protection and Response Team (PRT).

However, Prince Albert’s political representatives in Regina were eager to highlight some other aspects in the speech – or a lack of them.

Rancourt’s take

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Prince Albert Northcote NDP MLA Nicole Rancourt told paNOW she was very disappointed there was no mention of a bigger, better hospital for the city in the speech.

“We know that Premier Moe campaigned on that in his leadership campaign and it was a promise he made, so I was really expecting something to be said,” Rancourt noted. She was also unhappy about some other omissions.

“There was little mention on PST exemptions and we know the impact the PST has had on smaller businesses and our construction industry. There were also no ideas on how to expand the economy and address the unemployment rate, and no discussion on a second bridge for Prince Albert,” she said.

Rancourt, however, said it was good to see plans from the government for the expansion of interpersonal violence leave to include sexual violence but added it didn’t go far enough. She said vulnerable people need paid-leave to help them move on from dangerous situations.

Hargrave’s response

Prince Albert Carlton MLA Joe Hargrave said one of the key highlights given his portfolio with SGI was the improvements coming for commercial driver training.

“We’re looking at improving the training of drivers, the training schools and the examiners,” he told paNOW. “But we’ve also been working with Manitoba, Alberta and B.C. and trying to make it consistent so we can have minimum standards across the borders.”

Hargrave was happy to see Crisis Teams being deployed, which will see a mental health worker going out with local police on calls, a plus for dealing with mental health concerns in the city.

He dismissed concerns about a lack of mention of a new hospital in P.A. in the speech.

“This was a Throne Speech, not a budget speech,” Hargrave said. “The premier is a man of his word and has promised a fully-funded hospital, and I’m optimistic we’ll see an announcement in the coming months.”

Editor’s Note: This story was updated on Friday, Oct. 26, 2018 at 9:26 a.m. to correct a typo.

glenn.hicks@jpbg.ca

On Twitter:@princealbertnow