Last week, my colleagues and I returned to Regina for the start of the Spring Session of the Saskatchewan Legislature. This is an exciting time to debate and an opportunity to pass important pieces of legislation to benefit Saskatchewan people.
Despite headwinds outside our province, our government looks forward to presenting a balanced budget that delivers on priorities. We will make record investments in infrastructure and families to provide a strong Saskatchewan for the future.
In spite of challenges, Saskatchewan’s resilient economy continues to perform well with continued employment and population growth.
The latest figures from Statistics Canada show 19 consecutive months of strong, steady job growth in our province.
The past decade provides plenty of examples of how a growing Saskatchewan is a strong Saskatchewan. Our population has grown by more than 170,000 people; our economy has grown with nearly new 80,000 jobs; and we have seen over $180 billion in capital investment. This has given government a greater ability to invest in the programs, services and infrastructure that improves our quality of life.
Our government will continue to stand up for Saskatchewan families and work hard to ensure our province and economy remain strong.
Later this month, the Supreme Court of Canada is set to hear Saskatchewan’s case against the federal carbon tax. Your Saskatchewan Party government is calling on Prime Minster Trudeau to pause the carbon tax in Saskatchewan, until the Supreme Court delivers its ruling. The Alberta Court of Appeal recently ruled that the carbon tax is unconstitutional and we are confident the Supreme Court will rule the same.
The start of the Spring Session provided me with an opportunity to acknowledge, thank and congratulate the hundreds of volunteers and organizers who were involved in a very successful Scotties Tournament of Hearts in Moose Jaw.
For 10 days last month, 16 curling teams and thousands of fans from across Canada, travelled to our community for the 39th annual event in which teams battled for the opportunity to wear the maple leaf at the World Women’s Curling Championship.
Team Saskatchewan did an incredible job, and represented us well on the national stage.
It took over 400 dedicated volunteers to make the event the success that it was. Between hotels, restaurants, transportation and more, the 60,000 people taking in the tournament had an economic impact of almost $10 million.
I was pleased to have the opportunity to attend the opening ceremonies, along with Premier Scott Moe and my colleague Warren Michelson, MLA for Moose Jaw North.
It was absolutely wonderful having the Scotties in Moose Jaw, and I can’t wait to have them in our city again.
This past weekend, I also enjoyed attending the annual PRISM Awards in Moose Jaw. The evening is meant to celebrate and highlight the women in Moose Jaw who have gone above and beyond to make their community a better place. The PRISM Awards are truly one of the most positive events in our community each year. Congratulations to all of this year’s award winners. I also want to acknowledge and thank the Business Women of Moose Jaw for their work to organize and host this great event.
It is a tremendous honour and privilege to serve as your elected representative for Moose Jaw Wakamow. I encourage you to contact my Constituency Office with any questions, suggestions and concerns you may have. You can find us at 412 Lillooet St. W., reach us by phone at 306-694-1001 or by e-mail at greglawrencemla@sasktel.net.
The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the position of this publication.
