The spring legislative session came to a close very recently, with Premier Scott Moe once again commending the balanced budget put forth earlier this spring.
The legislative assembly passed a number of issues throughout the spring session, including increasing maternity leave by one week, adding several occupational diseases to health coverage for firefighters, and the implementation of Clare’s Law to protect those at risk of partner violence.
Also addressed through legislation were the rights of rural landowners in terms of the public accessing rural properties, and the allowance of small municipalities to join regional police services.
The announcement of a new joint school in Moose Jaw was one of the hot topics of note for the city, alongside the construction of passing lanes along Highway 2.
Both MLAs for the Moose Jaw region, Greg Lawrence and Warren Michelson, are pleased with the steps accomplished during this legislative session.
“We've passed some really really good laws this year, working with the opposition on some of them,” said Lawrence, MLA for Moose Jaw Wakamow.
“There were somewhere between 35 and 40 bills that we passed into legislation, and a lot of them had to do with good social programs,” said Michelson, MLA for Moose Jaw North.
Michelson and Lawrence noted that the focus was on developing the economy so that more efficient social programs can be supported. Both felt the balanced budget was successful in accomplishing that.
“We didn't want to cut a lot of programs because those are the things that the people rely on from the government,” said Michelson, before adding that the funding in this year’s budget is building a foundation for a long-term plan.
“We're putting together a plan, a longterm plan for the province, so we need to listen to the people of the city, to see what Moose Jaw thinks it needs to continue to grow and prosper,” said Lawrence as well. “We did a really well-rounded job on both getting the budget balanced and focused on those areas that needed focusing.”
Both representatives detailed the current proposals about the 9th Ave and Highway 1 intersection, currently under review with the Ministry of Highways and the City of Moose Jaw, as something that will be brought to the table in future legislative sessions.
Lawrence noted the ongoing efforts of the provincial government on federal issues, such as the carbon tax and the trade discussions with China, will continue; Michelson noted that he hopes to see a continued push for the federal government to protect Saskatchewan interests.
But mostly, both Lawrence and Michelson plan to spend their summer continuing to talk with their constituents, seeking feedback to take to the table with them when session resumes in the fall.
“That's what we intend to do, is spend a fair amount of time just making sure that we're in touch with the business community, the constituents and getting their ideas, and where we should be going,” said Michelson. “It's nice to make those decisions, in the legislative buildings, but we really have to make sure that we know what we're addressing and if it's the right thing for the province.”
“I'll be at just about every community event I can get to, and I'm going to be on the people's doorsteps, listening to them,” said Lawrence. “[I’ll be] gathering all that information together and taking it back to work with my colleagues to see what we can do to make the province even better.”
