Happy Canada Day.
Thank you to the innovation and determination of those who ensured COVID-19 would not stop a safe and socially distant Moose Jaw Canada Day celebration. Thank you to Moose Jaw Express/Moose Jaw Today, local businesses and the Kinsmen for your efforts and for making this year’s fireworks possible.
The current session of the legislature officially comes to a close on Friday, July 3rd. This is my final sitting of the Assembly as your MLA and these final few weeks are much different than anything I could have imagined.
The Legislative Assembly was suspended in March due to the COVID-19 pandemic and re-convened June 15 for a three-week session. The resumption of the Assembly was important to continue the operations of Government on behalf of the people of Saskatchewan. It is a very different experience with only 10 government members and five opposition members in the Assembly at any time to ensure safe physical distancing. Those not in the Assembly participate by video connection. The main priority has been the introduction, debate and passage of the 2020-2021 provincial budget. At the same time, other important work is also being completed.
The Government of Saskatchewan introduced The Police Amendment Act, 2020 as an initial step to improving police oversight in Saskatchewan. Amendments were also brought forward to The Miscellaneous Municipal Statutes Amendment Act, 2019, that will better protect the rights of legal firearm and handgun owners within the province.
The reduction in provincial revenues and additional costs related to the pandemic have resulted in a $2.4 billion deficit forecast for 2020-21 Budget. While the 2020-21 deficit is significant, it is much smaller than the deficits expected in many other provinces this fiscal year. Revenue is forecast to be down $1.2 billion, or about eight per cent from last year, a result of the shuttering of domestic and global economies to contain the spread of COVID-19, combined with the oil price collapse.
The budget will, however, provide increased investment in the health, education and social support services that the people of our province need. Investments in infrastructure will stimulate the Saskatchewan economy, and incentives will help our businesses and industries recover.
The provincial budget includes a record-setting 11 per cent increase in no-strings-attached municipal revenue sharing. The Municipal Economic Enhancement Program (MEEP) will provide an additional $150 million to municipalities for shovel-ready, local projects and investments to further stimulate the economy. The City of Moose Jaw will receive close to $7,000,000 in municipal revenue sharing and almost $5,000,000 as part of the Municipal Economic Enhancement Program.
The 2020-21 Saskatchewan Budget meets the challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic. As Saskatchewan’s economy recovers, our revenues will also recover and we will get back to balance in the coming years without having to cut programs and services.
Although this legislative sitting will be completed this week, I look forward to continuing to represent the constituents of Moose Jaw North until the time a provincial election is called. It has always been very rewarding to be able to serve the people of Moose Jaw and to bring the concerns of constituents to the appropriate Government Ministries. It is an honour to recognize special events, community milestones and people of significant notoriety. I remain committed to doing so in these final months of my term as your MLA. Please contact us if we can serve you in any of these topics by calling our office at 306-692-8884 or emailing moosejawnorthmla@shaw.ca.
The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the position of this publication.
