The Spring Session of the Saskatchewan Legislature started earlier this week. As it began, I stepped into the Legislative Building with a mix of emotions. I look forward to representing my constituents of Moose Jaw North and doing the work of moving our province forward, however; this session is especially significant for me as it is the last session before completing my term as your elected representative. Most constituents are aware that I had notified Premier Moe in January of last year that I would not be seeking re-election and will be retiring from politics when the provincial election is called later this year.
The provincial budget will be released during the Spring Session. Saskatchewan’s Growth Plan for the Next Decade of Growth will be our guide as we discuss, debate and deliberate important issues throughout the Legislative Session. One of the most significant items of the 20 Growth Plan Actions for the 2020s is keeping the province’s finances strong and the budget balanced. This will be reflected in the budget to be presented on March 18th.
Premier Scott Moe, in his annual address to the Municipalities of Saskatchewan Convention, announced that municipalities will receive record revenue sharing in the upcoming budget. Overall funding under the municipal revenue sharing program will increase to a record of $278 million next fiscal year – an increase of $27 million in 2020-21. The amount represents nearly 11 per cent increase in 2020-21 from the current fiscal year, and is almost a 119 per cent increase from the 2007-08 fiscal year when a Saskatchewan Party Government was first elected.
Saskatchewan municipalities have overall been allocated more than $3.1 billion in provincial funding through the revenue sharing program from 2007-08 to 2020-21. The annual revenue sharing allocation to Moose Jaw has increased from $2,822,796 in 2007-08 to $6,176,393 in 2019-20. The increased investment will position municipalities across Saskatchewan for the new decade of growth, so they can continue making key investments in their communities.
Our government understands that significant capital investment is crucial to building strong communities. That is why in the upcoming provincial budget, we will see one of the largest investments in provincial infrastructure in the history of our province. In this same budget, we will also see the largest investment in municipal infrastructure in our province’s history.
$30 billion in infrastructure has been invested since 2007. The objective in the new Growth Plan is to invest another $30 billion during the next decade. The new Moose Jaw joint-use school will be part of that investment. I’m honoured to be able to say that during my tenure as your MLA, the efforts of the people of Moose Jaw and the decisions of our government brought about investment into a new hospital and a new joint-use school in our community.
As usual during Session, I will be in Regina from Monday until Thursday afternoon. It’s always a great pleasure to welcome Moose Jaw constituents and students to the Legislature. I hope to see several school classes coming to experience the workings of the Legislature in the coming weeks.
Our office is open during usual business hours between 9:00 and 4:00. I welcome constituents to call or stop in. It will be my privilege to bring your concerns and suggestions forward during my last Legislative Session.
The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the position of this publication.
